Easter is a Pagan Holiday
by InnocentGuilt
Summary: Chapter eleven has been posted. It is the epilogue. Unfortunately, kiddies that means the end of the story. Thanks for sticking 'round. Sora was trying to cope with losing the love of his life when he found Leon. Rather, when he knocked Leon over.
1. Dear Diary

Disclaimer: I'm only writing this once. I don't own KH. If I did…wow, would it be odd.

Chapter 1

&

&

_Dear Diary,_

_I'm on a train right now, headed to Hollow Bastion. It's so stupid. I feel like a walking roadside attraction. Everyone seems to be staring at me. It's like my past is written on my face and they're hoping their staring will make my pain go away. I don't know how Kiari talked me into this. _

Trees fluttered in and out of his vision, giving a strobe-light effect to his compartment. The sun was just setting, sending pink, purple, and orange rays of light across his face. The continual hum of the train wheels against the tracks dimly registered in his ears along with the buzz of other passengers on their way to meet family, to further their business status, or just to enjoy life.

His pen hovered over his journal. He was the only one trying to escape; the only one trying to start over again; trying to be happy again. He was the only one learning to feel again.

Loud laughter made his gaze snap up to see a couple happily joking and laughing. They held hands and leaned into one another. He couldn't help but smile remorsefully. He couldn't have that again. It was just a passing dream.

He looked back down to his journal.

She told me it would be better if I went somewhere where he wasn't around all the time. The island was alive with him, or so she put it. Said I would be better where my therapist hadn't once been his. Where my house wasn't our house. She said I would be better if drinking out of a coffee cup didn't send me into screaming fit. She said Destiny Island held me in a perpetual Hell.

_I find it ironic that a place teeming with opportunity and adventure, the place people dream of living, is the place that holds me back, keeps me in my misery. Imprisons me. _

_Destiny Island…Destiny…my personal jail cell._

"Excuse me, passengers." The intercom boomed with the director's voice. "We are five minutes from our destination, Hollow Bastion. The time is 8:31p.m. you may want to change your watches. The temperature is 38 degrees F. Thank you for riding with Kingdom Railway System. Please remain seated for the duration of this time. Thank you." He put up the speaker and disappeared behind the curtain.

_I still miss him. _He wrote slowly. _I still wish he'd come home to me._

_Sora._

He sighed and shook his head before reaching down to put his journal away in his bag.

&

Sora groaned into his palms.

"What do you mean you lost my luggage?" He said, rubbing his temples with his fingertips. He couldn't believe this was happening. This was ridiculous.

"Sir, they checked! It's just not thare! She pressed, her accent exceedingly heavy. She looked at him expectantly awaiting his next move.

"How-How can it not be there? I fucking watched them load my suitcase onto the cargo compartment! It's a little blue suitcase it has my name on it and everything."

"Sir, please Ah don't know haw to help you. Aw can call you when we find it, but uther than that…U'm sawrry." She looked at a loss for words. She was a sweet girl; at least he hadn't gotten a pain to talk to. This girl looked as if she genuinely wanted to help you.

He knew it wasn't her fault. She didn't load the bags. It was just so frustrating. He looked at the ceiling. 'This would be so much easier if you were here.' His eyes squeezed shut and he counted to ten. Taking a deep breath, he smiled apologetically to the girl. "That would be great."

She nodded. "OH-kay!" She looked down at her computer and started to type. "Ah'll need you're name…phone number…and mailing address." She looked up at him. "D'you know the hotel yaw're staying at, hun?"

He jolted at her mention of address. "Actually, I'm, uh, I'm moving here. I'm renting this place…here." He handed her a piece of paper that he hand taken out of his back pocket. "I actually have no clue where that is. I've never been out of Destiny Island."

She chuckled as she typed the information she needed. "Must be kin'a scary."

"Little." He admitted.

They sat in silence as she typed away. And while she toiled away at her computer Sora took a look out the giant windows all around the building. It was dark out by now so he really couldn't see much, except what the streetlamps allowed him. What he saw rather took him by surprise.

He had expected the huge city to be overflowing with nightlife and thugs. Destiny Island had had a few dodgy places; he thought this would be hell. Outside, all he could see was the couples and dog walkers, little old ladies being helped across the street by young children. There was nothing dodgy about this place; hell, he'd bet ten munny Destiny Island was more violent than this place.

"All done!" She announced.

Sora looked back at her smiling green eyes. "Thanks." He managed to smile back at her, taking the papers out of her hand.

He was about to walk off when she grabbed his hand. He looked back at her quickly, wondering if he had done something wrong. But she just smiled encouragingly and said. "It'll get better. Don't give up."

He wanted to ask her what she was talking about, or how she new, more to the point. He wanted to know if he was wearing a sign on his back, or if his eyes really did carry his emotions. Sora wanted to know why he wasn't there. Why he couldn't just be happy, or couldn't get better. He wanted to know why god, or whoever was up there hated him. Why he took his life away. But he didn't ask. He just smiled and gave her hand a squeeze to let her know he had acknowledged her.

&

Sora sat at his little booth in the diner.

He had stopped at a local restaurant before trying to tackle his futile mission on finding his new home. "Hewey, Dewey, and Louie's Diner: Open 24/7 with the best food in Kingdom Hearts!"

It was pretty good food. He wished he could eat it and enjoy it the way it should be, but he just wasn't feeling hungry and he didn't want to make himself sick. He looked out the window at the shop across the street, and nearly laughed at what it was. "Cid's gummi part and auto repair." He murmured aloud. What an odd color for an auto shop. It was pink and blue. He shook his head and reached into his bag.

Setting down his journal on the table and moving his plate away from him, he picked up his pen and opened to a fresh page.

_Diary,_

_Hollow Bastion is a quaint little place. Not at all what I expected. The people are nice, the streets are clean and swarming with life, and the food's not half bad either. It's odd to say I feel safe in a big city instead of my small town home. And still my stay here has already been met with difficulties. The train station lost my luggage. The girl said they should find it within two weeks. It's so irritating; this was supposed to relax me it's just making me more stressed. And I have no idea where the place I'm staying at is. I'm feeling stretched and distorted. I feel like I have no control over what's going on with me. I've just moved to a city where I don't know any one, my luggage isn't in my possession, and I can't even find my own house. It's just so confusing. _

Something fell out of his bag just then and Sora hovered his pen over the journal, trying to choose whether or not to just leave whatever on the floor. He just shook his head and signed his name it the journal. He, then, picked up the papers he had dropped on the floor and looked through them quietly.

They were the papers the lady at the station had given him. He hadn't looked through them at all but now he saw no reason not to. He flipped through the pages mildly recording warranties, guarantees, phone-numbers, and addresses. He was about ready to stuff it in his bag again when he read the last page. They were directions. They were directions to his apartment. He could've died of relief right there.

This girl was honestly a godsend.

&

He had set off walking to his new apartment right after he found the map. He didn't want to get there at ungodly hours and have his new roommate mad at him. Though, it wasn't that far away from the little café he had been at, much to his delight.

The street he was on was quiet, though he could still hear laughing people not too far away. He could see city lights for miles and what he guesses was an amusement park. Streetlamps guided his way around and lit up the street signs. He was cautious not to roam away or turn when he saw something interesting because, god knew, he would get lost. He could smell different aromas in the air, a combination, he discovered, of oil, stone, and food. It was quite different from the sea air, and popcorn he always smelled in his hometown.

He looked down at the directions again to see where his next turn would be. The sidewalk had been empty when he had looked down, but as he looked up his face met up with a broad chest and a hot liquid.

"JESUS!" he heard someone yell as he fell to the ground. He looked up to the man, who now had coffee all down the front of his white shirt, with wide eyes.

"Dammit! I'm sorry." Sora started as he tried scrambling to his feet.

The man simply threw his now empty cup in a nearby trash bin and groaned when he looked at his ruined shirt.

"I'm sorry." Sora said again, now on his feet and feeling fully embarrassed.

He thought the man might lash out at him. He looked pissed and he kept shaking his head and mumbling.

But he just smirked and shrugged. "Don't." He said gruffly. His head came up from his shirt to look at Sora and Sora nearly stopped breathing from the sheer intensity of his eyes. They were the most stunning pair of cobalt eyes he had ever seen in his life. They held each other's gaze for moments on end, when he finally broke the spell, saying. "It's just not even worth worrying over."

Sora nodded dumbly as the man started to walk away.

He started to walk again following the instructions and trying to stop the rapid beat of his heart.

&

The brunette turned into the office of the apartment complex. He needed to get his key and a general idea of where his room was.

When he opened to door a small 'ding' sounded and a man behind a desk hollered his welcome. Sora returned it immediately and headed towards him.

"I need my room key, Sora Tanaka." He said leaning over the desk.

The other nodded and looked at his files. He flipped and Sora turned his attention to the room. It was small and cramped he noticed, shelves were everywhere all filled with nick-knacks and boxes. There were three desks, though it looked as if only one was in use. It was common but comfortable and he only hoped the place he was staying at was this calming.

He looked at the threadbare carpet, then back at the man who had finally pulled out a file and plastic baggie shouting, "Aha." He smiled and pulled out a key. "Alrighty! Here's your key and your apartment number is 30b. When you exit the door just take a left you'll be right in front of your door." He looked at his file. "You're roomie is-"

"I know he told me over the phone." Sora said, suddenly just ready to get to the place and find something to fall on.

"Okay." He hesitated a moment, reading the name over again. "Well, you do know he's gay right?" The other man asked.

Sora stopped and tapped the counter. "No, actually I didn't." he murmured.

"Is that a problem?"

"No. It's fine. Thanks for the help." Sora finished the conversation quickly and exited before the other started on something else.

&

Sora opened the door to his apartment. Stepping in he found a tidy little kitchen and a stairway. It smelled of cigarette smoke and fried chicken, but he didn't mind. Axel smoked, he was used to it. He walked in quietly looking around cautiously so as not to startle anyone who might be there. "Hello?" He called softly. He looked around, now in the living room. "Hello?" he called again, louder this time. No one responded. He looked around before giving up and sitting on the couch.

He spotted a phone and practically leaped for it. He hoped this guy had free long distance, because if not Sora was in the hole, Roxas didn't like to shut up. He dialed the number quickly pressing the phone up to his ear.

"Hello?" Came a deep male voice.

"Hi, Axel. How's it going?" Sora smiled softly.

"Sora, wow did they delay you somewhere it took forever!" Axel yelled into his ear.

He scoffed. "No, I had some troubles once I got in town."

"Oh, man I'm sorr-" He paused as a feminine voice entered in the background.

"Honey? Who's on the phone?"

Kairi.

He heard a loud gasp and "Give me the phone!"

There was a long silence in whence he guestimated the two were quarreling. Finally he heard, "Sora? Sora, is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me. I made here." He smiled again at her enthusiasm. Now he was wishing he was back in their living room, instead of this place. He didn't want to be in Hollow Bastion where nothing was familiar, he wanted to be home and wallow in the scent of his sheets, not these peoples. "Let me tell you…it's been a trip." He laughed hollowly. "The train station lost my bag."

She interrupted him, "Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry. Do you need me to get you some clothes?"

He put his hand over his eyes. "No, Kairi, I've got munny. Don't even worry about it."

"Okay, they'll be there in two days."

Sora groaned.

"What else happened?" She asked.

He rubbed his face. "Well, I ate some food. And I ran into a guy and spilled his coffee all down his front."

"He didn't do anything did he?" She accused in an angry voice. Kairi was going to hitch a ride up to Hollow Bastion and kick someone's ass if people around here weren't careful.

He leaned forwards on the couch he had leaned back against. "No. No, he was really cool about it. Told me it was just a shirt." He smiled as he remembered the guy, the way his heart had fluttered. It had been some time since it had done that…maybe there was hope here after all.

Kairi sighed. "Good."

Sora nodded. "Yeah. Hey! Is Roxas still up?"

"Oh, after you told him he could stay up late your first night away…he's pinging off the wall." She said incitingly.

Sora laughed. "Sorry." He could just imagine the kid sitting on his bed watching TV. He was surprised he hadn't barreled into the room at the sound of the phone.

"Uh-huh. Hold on while I go get him."

He heard shuffling feet and a squeal of excitement. "HELLO!" Sora pulled the phone away from his ear automatically as his brother yelled his greetings.

"Hey, Roxas, how ya doin' bub?" He smiled automatically, awaiting the young boy to answer him.

"Oh, I'm okay I guess. Did you make it to where you were going?" He asked.

"Yeah, I did."

"Do you like it?"

Sora thought for a moment. "It's not bad. The people here are nice, foods good, nice home." He paused for a second, waiting for…the sigh. He laughed silently. "Though it's nothing compared to livin' with you."

Roxas laughed. "What about the person you're living with?"

"I haven't met him yet nosey. He's not here."

"Ah, shucks! I wanted to talk to him." The little boy whined.

"You just want to stay up later." He corrected. He laughed along with his brother. God, now he really wanted to be back there. He missed Roxas already.

"When can I come out there with you?" The eight year old asked suddenly serious.

Sora paused, thinking for moments on end of the right answer. "When I have a place to stuff you." He said lightly, then in a serious tone. "I'll get you out here as soon as I can."

"When will that be, Sora?" He whined. "I miss you already." He heard the boy say quietly.

"Oh I don't know. As soon as I get a job. My own place." He paused thinking of something else to say to lighten the mood. "Can't have you move in with a complete stranger. They might steel you and never give you back."

Roxas laughed.

"Go to bed, twerp. As I recall you still have school in the morning."

"Okay. If I have to." He complained.

Sora chuckled. "You do!"

"Alright. I love you, Sora."

Sora smiled sadly. This kid was seriously getting to him. "I love you too, Roxas."

They bid each other good night and Sora could hear his brother asking someone to read him a story like Sora would do. The kid could read better than any three people he knew, but he just had to be read to.

Kiari picked up the phone again. "Cute kid, huh?"

"Yeah, he's got his moments."

They shared a quiet laugh before the silence. He waited silently for her to say something, realizing even as he did so, she was doing the exact same thing. But thankfully she spoke first. "Are you gonna be okay?" She asked.

He looked down at his hand. "I'll be perfect once I get everything established." He whispered. Honestly he didn't know whether or not he was trying to convince himself or her, but apparently she wasn't taking bate.

"Sora Tanaka, don't you even lie to me. I want to know your honest opinion." She sounded so much like his mother when she did that.

He smirked, still looking at his hand. "I still miss him, Kairi. I try and push the thoughts away but they're always there, pushing free whenever the slightest hint of him comes up." He rubbed on the ring again. "I wish I still had the security he gave me, the strength that emanated from him, I wish I still had his arms around me!" He said in a low voice. "And I don't know if I'll ever be able to overcome those feelings, Destiny Island or no. He's just there and he's not going away."

The silence that followed was deafening. He waited for Kairi to say something again, fidgeting with his ring more than he had in the past week. He heard her delicate sigh.

"It'll get easier, Sora. You just gotta stop thinkin' of him and try to move on. It's what he would've wanted. He died and it was sad, but you're ruining your life dwelling on him." She paused and Sora was about to protest when she continued. "You said you stopped to have some food, did you actually eat anything?"

Silence.

"If you keep this up not only will you whither to nothingness, you will die. What d'you think will happen to Roxas if that happens? It sounds mean and I know you don't mean to do it, but stop thinking of yourself and the woes in your life and start looking out for the people around you, look on the bright side for once. At least you still have Roxas, right?"

"Yeah." Sora sighed.

"You go out into the world, Sora. You go out there and you live, dammit! I want you to be happy…I want you to be better." She paused again, giving Sora time to let everything she had said sink in. "I love you, Sora. Please get better."

Sora sighed. He didn't know whether to be mad at her or thankful because she had finally said what he had wanted to hear for the past six months. He was being completely negative about this, even he knew this, and he had his brother to think about.

"I will." He assured her.

"Good. Call us again as soon as you can. And tell us if you have any more problems. I'll fix it."

Sora nodded as if she could still see him. He fingered his ring and said, "Okay."

"Good. That package'll be there in two days. I'll take good care of Roxas. I love you. Bye."

She had hung up by the time Sora actually got around to replying to her last comment, in which time all he could do was stare at the little white band on his finger. "Bye." he finally replied into thin air.

He hung up the phone and went to his small bag. He dug out his journal and pen, and then he set back down on the couch and began to write:

_Book,_

_Rivers of pain dried up my soul_

_In darkness there is no refuge_

_Kindred spirits burn like coal_

_Under the Earth in Hell_

_Relief and pain come all at once_

_Ironically consuming me_

_Karma takes its toll in months_

_Using me like trash_

_Running in the moonless night_

_I will return to you_

_Keep calling me to you arms, tight_

_Undo the mess I drew_

He signed his name and titled the poem before snapping the book shut angrily and throwing it across the room. His eyes opened in terror though as it was caught effortlessly by a man, a tall man with cobalt eyes.

And a brown stain down his front.

"Gee, this is the beginnings of an interesting acquaintanceship, and I don't even know your name." He said, his face bland as he read the cover.

He handed it back to Sora, who took it automatically and held tightly to his side. "I'm sorry." Was all he could think to say? He couldn't register anything past the fact that…his heart was fluttering again. He was short of breath. This wasn't normal.

"Don't be. This place has been through so much I'm surprised it doesn't just fall down around us." He said glaring up at the ceiling. "I'm Leon." He announced, smirking again as he looked at Sora's dumbfounded expression.

He nodded, and shook himself mentally. Jesus, all he had to do was say his name! "I'm, uh, I'm Sora." He stuck out his hand, which was taken instantly by the other's.

"Great to meet you, Sora."

Sora grinned. "Same to you."

The tall man stared into his face for a moment before looking at his watch. "Come on. I'll show you to your room. You must be tired after all." He walked back towards the kitchen and the stairs, looking back briefly to make sure Sora followed.

Once they made it upstairs, Leon led him to the second door on the right. "There you go."

Sora opened the door and looked at the other man. "Thanks." He murmured and stepped into his room.

Leon said something in response and then closed the door. Leaving Sora alone in his new, clean, empty room. His new home.

&

&

A/N: Wow! It has been a super long time since I posted anything, let alone made a KH fanfic. This is such a scarce pairing, but I think they're super cute…I'm weird. This is just the beginning. I'll try updating within two weeks. I'm hoping I'll stick to that…but my schedule is stupid, so…don't hate me if I'm not accurate.

Please review. It's been such a long time since I did anything I can't stand myself.


	2. Sleepless

Woah! For a while there I didn't think I was going to get review then all of the sudden three pops out of nowhere. It was scary and exciting all at the same time. Anyway…

Kiity: Think you for you kind review. I'm sorry it took so long to update.

Cinnamon: I'm sorry I didn't make that clear enough. Yes, Kairi and Axel are married, but no, Roxas isn't their son. Roxas is Sora's little brother. I'm glad you enjoyed my story. I was worried about it there for a while.

Sekre: I can't see him without him either, but if he had been around Sora probably wouldn't have been so…upset. I'm sorry but no abusive relationships in this story…well at least no between the main pairing. ; ).

Any who! On with chapter 2!

&

&

Sora stepped out of the shower stall, closing the semi-transparent glass doors, and wrapping the closest towel he could find around his waist. The cold blast of air hit him with a sudden blast, forming goose bumps on his arms and legs. He stepped onto the towel on the floor, making sure his feet were dry before he made his adventure across the hall to his room. He looked around cautiously, somewhat embarrassed about being seen half-naked while practically running down the hall.

Once his door was shut he looked around his tiny room yet again, still not quite used to the place yet. It was smaller than his room back at Destiny Island, something he was having trouble getting used to. There was less light too, he noticed. His light was on already, and it was only a quarter to two. At his old place he could have kept the place illuminated with the sunlight until at least six o'clock.

He toweled his hair and dressed in the clothes he had come there in. He felt dirty wearing these clothes, but it was either wear these dirty or streak while they washed. And though back at Destiny Island that hadn't been a problem…

"OW! Dammit!"

With his unknown flat mate, he wasn't too comfortable with the idea.

Sora grabbed his journal and a pen and headed downstairs. He didn't particularly want to be in the same room with someone he didn't really know but then again he didn't want to be rude either. He would be living with this guy for some time; he should get to be at least acquaintances.

"Hey, sleepyhead! Sleep okay? Wadn't too cold was it?" Leon asked around the cigarette in his lips. His back was turned towards Sora and he looked to be cutting up something.

Sora watched him for a moment, "It wasn't what I was used to." He said quietly. "But after I actually fell asleep so I suppose it was okay."

He threw something red into the pot, meat, Sora supposed, before turning to give Sora a glance. "You live in that one place all you life didn't you?" He waited briefly for The other to nod. "Well, no wonder not the place you were used to. Doesn't have the same smells or sights. No wonder you were off kilter, Soren."

Sora nodded, watching him throw another handful of meat into the pot. "Sora. Not Soren, Sora." It wasn't mean or anything, he had mistaken his name and that was usual for new people meeting. They confused each other's names. Hell, before his mom had died she had done it all the time. She had to go through a list of names before she found the one she was looking for. Yet, it was just depressing.

&

He looked around the small backyard. It wasn't much, about ten yards by twenty yards if he could estimate properly, which he couldn't. It was encased by a picket fence, painted a nice shade of white. It was better that what he used to have. His last house didn't even have a back yard. The apartments weren't allowed to have land. It was all for those who wanted ten zillion acres for three chocobos.

It used to drive him insane, now that Sora thought about him. He couldn't stand keeping Roxas inside until one of them had time to take the child to the park. He said no child should live in place where there wasn't green grass at the back door, yet he refused to move.

He stepped out into the thin layer of white snow, freezing to the bone, because all he really had was a medium size coat that really didn't do a whole lot of good in keeping the –10 degree wind out.

He had actually come outside to get a good gasp of breath, as he was feeling somewhat smothered in the small little space. He hadn't been doing much. Just writing in his journal when he just couldn't be inside. It was too much work to breathe in the polluted air. It was too much to smell the food on the stove. And it was definitely too much to smell Leon's cologne so much like someone else's.

Sora rubbed his face and sat down on a small bench near the fence, his butt nearly freezing to the seat on first contact. A shock of cold went through his body and he huddled the jacket closer to his body. Destiny Island was so much warmer in wintertime.

"Hey! What are you doing out here? You'll catch your death."

Sora nearly fell off of the bench when he heard Leon's voice. He looked over to see Leon walking towards him, big furry coat that looked so warm around him and his boots on as he trounced through the nice white snow. Sora didn't say a word in reply, and did nothing when the other man pulled him to his feet.

"It's freezing out here." He said quietly, rubbing on Sora's arms to warm them up. "You'll die if you don't bundle up properly." He looked down into Sora's eyes and smirked, causing the butterflies in his stomach to start fluttering again. "Come on inside. I cooked some dinner."

&

Tobacco and shepherd's pie were not something that coincided very well. The smell of it was nauseating and he couldn't get his thoughts away from the smell long enough to eat it. Leon, on the other hand, chomped away at it like he would never get another chance at food. Sora sighed and pushed the meat around the plastic plate. It looked relatively good but he just wasn't hungry enough to battle the smell.

Instead he pulled out his notebook and began to write lazily across the plain white paper.

_Dear Journal,_

_After my last entry I threw my book across my new living room, only to have it caught by my new roommate. It wasn't the first time we had encountered, earlier I had spilt his coffee all down his front. Leon, he says his name is._

_He's a nice enough guy, seems to be a caring person. He's really easy to get along with. Asks after my sleep, worries I'm going to catch my death, cooks dinner. _

_It's odd though. It's almost completely opposite from what I left behind. He would tell me to cook, make sure I got a good sleep, and had the proper clothing on. I keep expecting someone behind me to yell, 'Stop babying him.' It would be nice to hear that from his mouth. It would be nice to hear anything from him again, but I'm not supposed to think about that._

_I wond_

"Do you not like the food?" Leon asked motioning towards Sora's plate.

He looked up from his page suddenly and then down. "No. No, it's not that. I just-I don't eat much." He said uncomfortably. He didn't want to make the other think he didn't like his food. He was sure it was very good, but…

"You don't eat at all you mean." Leon said lightly. "I haven't seen you touch anything since you got up. Are you feeling okay?"

'No.' He thought, staring at the cracked and scratched wooden table. Everything in this house seemed to have taken a fairly good beating. The doors, the coffee table, the cabinets and counters, all of it seemed worn to fragments of what it was.

"Hey? Did you hear me?" He asked trying to position his head where he could look at Sora's eyes.

He caught Leon's sea storm eyes and he held them. Those eyes held so much emotion, so much past, so much hope. Little butterflies fluttered in his stomach, and his cheeks burned as he looked away. "Yeah, sorry." He muttered. "I'm fine. Just adjusting to the new place."

"Understandable. Always took me a week and a half to get used to the new places my dad dragged me and my family." He was being conversational. Trying to get Sora to loosen up, he guessed. He was thankful for it to. The silence that could fill up this small place was smothering.

"This is my first big move. I had never been off my island until now."

Leon stood, taking his plate and Sora's, and moving to the sink. "I could tell. You have that same expression my sister did when she moved here."

"Oh?" Sora said, throwing out anything that would keep the conversation going and keep his mind from wandering. "You have a sister? What's her name?"

"Aerith… sweet little thing. You'll meet her at the end of the week when she comes to clean the apartment." He said scrubbing the plates.

Sora watched him from his seat, fiddling with the edge of his journal. "You make your sister clean your apartment?"

"No." He said, and Sora could almost detect a hint of indignation in his voice. "She likes to clean this place. If she doesn't want to clean I don't make her. Although truth be told I did ask her to come clean the place up when I heard you were coming."

"Gee, I wasn't aware I was so special." Sora said lightly.

Leon smirked. Very much like someone else he once knew. "Well, I have to make a good impression you know."

&

"I made a call on your phone last night to Destiny Island. Is that a problem?" Leon looked over slowly. "Because if so I can- I can pay for the long distance calls."

"Don't worry about it. I get free long distance. Call your family as often as you like."

"Thank you."

Leon nodded and turned back to picking up some things off of the table. "I'm going out for about two hours." He said.

"Right now? It's freezing out there." Sora said skeptically

Leon nodded. "Yes, but unlike you," he pulled a giant parka looking thing out of a nearby closet. "I have the proper equipment for going out in fifteen below weather."

"What are you gonna do?" He honestly didn't want to be in this place by himself again. It was all he could do to keep busy with someone with him; by himself he'd start talking to the sea-salt ice cream, or something.

"I'm gonna shovel the snow." He said wiggling into his parka type thing.

"You do that?"

"Every time it snows." Leon said patting down his pockets to see if he had everything he needed.

Sora watched him for a while, thinking all the while, 'It's going to be impossible not to fall head over heels with this guy.'

&

He sat on the couch again, phone in his hands. He was calling his friends again. He didn't feel like talking to them but he didn't feel like doing much else either. That and he mildly hoped his little Roxas wasn't asleep yet.

"SORA!"

He immediately pulled the phone away from his ear. Yeah, Roxas was up.

Ahh, but he wasn't supposed to be up. Some one was slacking over there and he would have to take authority in this matter…or pretend to. "Roxas, what are you still doing up, mister?"

There was a pause before Roxas said quietly "Aunty Kiari isn't here."

Sora laughed at that. Aunty Kiari the wicked witch of the west. He couldn't get the image of her cackling and saying, "I'll get you my pretty, you and your little dog too." Out of his head.

"That explains it. How was your day at school squirt?"

"It was good…except Satsu took my Oreos." Roxas yelled with indignation.

"Really?"

"Yeah. But I got her back."

Oh no. Sora put his hands over his eyes. "Did you?" he moaned.

"Yep. I took her soda." And Sora couldn't help breathe a sigh of relief.

Thank god. Sora thought for a moment there that he had gotten into another fight. Thankfully he had taken after Sora at that instance. He thought about that particular thanks for a moment; finding it odd he was happy he had only taken a soda from the girl. Most people would've had a cow at the notion. All well.

"All right, trooper, you've still got school in the morning. Go to bed."

"Okay." Roxas sighed. " I love you, Sora."

He nodded. "I love you too."

He waited for a moment, he new someone else was bound to snatch the phone before this was over. And he was right, not two seconds later he heard Axel's deep voice.

"Hello?"

"You're horrible and keeping rules, you know that right?"

"He gave me the eyes."

"Aha." That explained a lot. Roxas could get a way with murder if he just gave the right pout. It was hell during dessert. "I understand."

"Yeah…" he laughed quietly "So…Are you all settled in?" Axel asked.

Sora looked around the room, with its stark white walls, the organized clutter, ash trays filled with fags. "As settled as I'm going to get." He said resignedly.

"Not your dream house?"

"Axel, it's an apartment."

Silence was heard over the phone. "Not your dream apartment?" Axel corrected in a nasally voice.

Sora laughed and he could hear Axel chuckle as well.

"What about the guy? You know the one you're living with."

He paused at this, not really wanting to answer. He liked Leon, he seemed to be a great guy, someone he could get comfortable with, but saying that might get everyone's hopes up. He had only just met him and chances were they would never really be much more than friends; people like Leon just weren't single and if they were they didn't go after useless cases like Sora anyway.

"He's…there." It was vague and he knew it wouldn't pass, but he just didn't want to say anything right now or preferably at all.

But as in most cases, Sora didn't get what he wanted. He heard a sigh and then Axel said, "Come on, man! It's okay if you like him, or don't like him, or even wish he were a badly wrapped box, but just speak your mind."

It was odd to Sora how Axel was more understanding than Kairi. He always thought since she had been his friend longer he should be able to tell her he murdered the king and have her ask if he needed help burying the body. Yet he feared to tell her that he was even considering liking someone else. But he could tell Axel that suicide wasn't such a bad idea, or that he had cried his eyes out over something he couldn't change, or he even liked someone and still felt guilty because somehow he didn't think it was okay for him to be over he first true love so quickly and all Axel would do was nod and talk him through it.

"I'm not used to it. I want to like him, but I feel so bad." He started. "I feel like if I even consider someone else I'm trying to forget him and honestly I don't want to. Don't get me wrong I- I don't want to dwell over him." He paused trying to think of how to say what he felt. " I don't want to forget." He said slowly. "But I can't look at anyone else without thinking, 'What would he say?' and you can't juggle that into a relationship." He said.

In the pause that followed, he could practically see Axel's thoughtful expression as he nodded his head to show he had heard every word Sora said perfectly.

"What about him? What is he like?"

Sora stared at his middle finger, where a gold band sat shining in the light, and then at the front door, where he envisioned Leon working hard for people without asking for anything, not even thanks. He shook his head somberly. " People aren't interested in broken things." He said clearly, crisply, flatly. "I'm gonna go to sleep. Night Axel."

He could hear Axel trying to get him to stop before he hung up the phone and set it down on the table quietly.

He stared at the black phone deciding, after almost ten minutes, that he should require to only talking to Roxas. Talking to the other two always ended up with him in a somber mood.

&

Sora woke up extremely late the next day, his eyes were heavy with sleep and he considered staying in bed. At three, Leon came in to make sure he was okay, and he managed to drag himself out of bed and across the floor and into the kitchen. He sat at the table, diagonally from his flat mate who sat quietly reading. He was uncomfortable, and he was pretty sure everyone in Hollow Bastion could sense that.

He sat in his chair huddled into a feeble position and trying not to think. Unfortunately the more he tried not to think the more he thought about it. He thought about his conversation last night. He thought about his feelings. He thought about his confusion about what little pieces of his life he had left. He thought about him.

Eight months, two weeks, and three days and he could barely look at any one else. He was a mess. He would laugh at himself if he had the energy. This was stupid. He was dead, not coming back; he was party food for the worms, Jesus! He hit his head on the back of his chair, trying to block out all thought process. Not working.

He needed a distraction. He needed a way out. He looked over at Leon. Leon, seemingly perfect Leon, who he couldn't have or who didn't want him, either way it was pointless to even mope. He was going to have to move out as soon as he could, he decided. Being with this guy was going to suffocate him. His emotions were too jumbled and nothing good ever happened when he was like this.

Not for the first time that afternoon he found himself wishing he could just get him back. He wished his life were easier. He wished his parents were still alive. He wished his brother didn't have to deal with him. He wished he could still sleep next to his first true love. He wished…NO! Wishing was pointless. No amount of wishing would change what was.

But if he could have…Damn! He had to stop thinking like this. He needed an escape. He needed to occupy his time. He needed someone to talk to him…

"So…what kind of job are you planning on looking for?" Leon asked, looking over from his coffee and newspaper. His eyes were plagued with something Sora couldn't understand and they watched him steadily.

Sora looked at him with a hint of shock. Okay so he did live with the guy, and most people were nosy by nature, but why did this guy kept making conversation with him? He didn't think he was sending out the most opening body language.

"Oh, I'm- I'm just looking to find a small job. Make enough money…get a small house. Just enough to support me and my brother, really." Sora said, finding sudden interest with a crack in the table.

Leon cocked his head to the side just a little. "You have a brother? How old?"

"Eight."

Leon nearly choked on his coffee. "Eight…h-how old are you again?"

"I'm twenty." Sora said actually cracking a half-smile.

Leon coughed and beat his chest to get the coffee to go down. "Thank god, for a moment I thought you were 15 or something. Thoughts of me aiding in the run-a-way of a minor kept flashing in my mind!"

Still smirking Sora said, "I've yet to be caught at running away."

Leon snapped his attention over to him, his stormy eyes narrowing. Then he breathed a sigh of relief and a slight chuckle escapes him. And for a moment, Sora was elated at the thought that he had made the other laugh. For a moment, there was no time, no past, and no regret. For a moment, Sora felt as if it was just they. And the way Leon's eyes held his, and his smile lasted a few moments longer than was normal, Sora thought that Leon felt the same way.

The feelings however came back to him that night. Guilt doubling up in his heart to make it hard to sleep in his miserable bed, in his miserable apartment, in the _miserable _world! His mind kept playing over it and the way they seemed to look at each other. Every time Sora would sob in pain as he realized not only was he ruining the memory of the love of his life, but also he was doing so over someone who could obviously never feel such a feeling towards him.

He cried. And that was something that he had given up a long time ago (It's hard to cry tears that aren't there anymore.). Slow tracks were made visible in the bright moonlight that seemed to shine directly on him as if to gloat, 'Lowly human, you have feelings and therefore are complex. Look at me. I am only light and light does not have feelings. I am simple…I am free.' He thought himself a bit touched to consider the insolence of moonlight, but he thought it rather true at the same time.

So he laid there in his miserable mind, thinking on the woes of his life, his stupidity for wallowing in self-pity, listening to the wind outside and the occasional sound of gummys. They hummed in an unsavory rhythm that would not leave his mind, the sound of a data machine running off information on a dying patient whom could not be healed. And it vexed him.

He finally fell asleep in the late hours of the morning, having been plagued half the night with memories and guilt. He slept fitfully, though, and he refused to leave his bed without a decent rest.

&

"Sora?" A hand reached him through his dreams, rubbing his hair from his face and moving down his neck to shake his shoulder. Sora was tempted to ignore him, he was having a delightful sleep finally and he didn't want to ruin it by gazing upon is self-induced lost cause. But his shoulder was shook again and his name was sang to him, "Sora."

"Mmm?" He snuggled into his pillow, cracking his bleary eyes to look up at Leon. He was smiling slightly, but his hand still rested on Sora's shoulder. It didn't seem to bother him and it was much to comforting to do anything about it himself, yet at the same time… "What's up?" Sora asked in a sleep-tinted voice.

"A package came in for you." He said, quietly. "I brought it up."

Sora nodded and sat up, ignoring the groans and cracks issued from his body. He stretched and looked around, mildly missing the warm shoulder that had been on his shoulder. Then he spotted the box, and he had to withhold a groan.

"You carried up that?" He asked looking at Leon with worry in his eyes.

Leon looked at the box and then at Sora, "It's not as heavy as it looks." He went over and picked it up, completely missing Sora mumbles, and then set it on the bed. Either he was lying about the box not being that heavy or he was superman. The moment the box hit the bed a huge dip appeared and Sora thought he was going to be eaten by the terrifying box of doom that was bringing everything towards it.

He looked up at Leon, as if to ask to get another statement on the 'not being heavy' issue, but he just shrugged and moved to lean against the wall beside the bed. Sora looked back at the box. It was from Kairi (big surprise), and it was full of clothes, none of which he looked at. He threw them on the bed beside him without much care. Then he got to the bottom.

Taped to the cardboard, just a little bit wrinkled, was a folded up piece of paper, addressed, TO: Sora, FROM: Roxas, in messy eight year old handwriting. He set the box down after he had taken the paper out of it, and turned his attention back to the smooth paper. When opened, a picture of two people was on it, one with dark brown hair and the other with sandy blonde hair. They were holding hands, and both of them had bright blue eyes, and of course, the little blonde was holding a Popsicle. And at the very bottom of the page it said, "I miss you, Sora."

He breathed a silent laugh, going over the picture again. Then felt someone sit on the bed behind him, looking over the picture. This pleased him in some small way. He guessed he was thankful that someone else to interest in his life who didn't want to send him off to a psychologist. But it could be for something else…

"You're brother's work?"

"Of course." He laughed. "Who else could be this clever, except for the great Roxas?"

The other laughed with him. "It's very good. I just love the way he captured your eyes."

Sora smirked at that, running his thumb idly over the blonde haired figure. He sighed sadly, missing his brother more and more each second. Then again, he was missing a lot of things more and more each second, but that was neither here nor there. He shook his head lightly to dislodge thoughts and sleepiness.

A strong hand came around from behind him to take hold of the pictures edge. "I go hang it on the fridge." He said quietly. "You go back to sleep, you look like you've been through hell."

Sora let go of the picture and watched until Leon had shut the door again. Then he lay back down, snuggling into his blanket again. He was sure his roommate was downstairs when he whispered into the pillow, "It's good to know I still look better than I feel."

&

&

A/N: Okay! My schedule didn't stick…I'm sorry! I was so stressed with the end of school, getting registered in college…plus you have no idea how many times I had to erase this chapter and re-write it. I couldn't think of how this one should go. But I think I did okay on this one. Any way, I KNOW what I want to happen next chapter so HOPEFULLY it won't take me a month to update.


	3. Suffocating

Okay! To my dear, sweet reviewers:

Sekre: You make me blush. Thank you for such an awesome compliment. I'm trying to make them come faster, but the more I want to update sooner the longer it seems to take me to finish them.

My Chemical Romance Dude: Thank you for reviewing my story, you have no idea how much it means to me.

Anyway, on with the story.

8

8

He felt something press lightly to his head at first, a hand, rubbing back his hair. He didn't think much of it and snuggled deeper into his pillow. His dreams were a bit confusing. Drifting between himself with an aqua-eyed angel and a brown-haired man. They didn't do anything; it was just there, an ever-present thought beating in his mind. But the petting came back, and he was disturbed from his dreams again. He had the presence of mind to crack an eye open to see stormy eyes staring right back into his.

"Hey there sleeping beauty." Leon said gruffly. His hand fell to the side of the bed, where it rested as he crouched by his bed.

"Is it time for the 12 o'clock wake up call?" He asked blearily. It didn't feel like noon, but he had been sleeping fitfully lately so he didn't doubt it. He started to push back the covers to get up, but Leon pushed him back. He was confused to the action for a moment, blinking rapidly up at him. He rested back on the pillow gazed up at Leon.

"No, you don't have to get up. I came up to tell you I'd be gone for the after noon." He explained, pulling the covers back up. Sora felt a blush rising in his cheeks, as he often did when Leon did these sorts of things. He wondered if he did this to everyone or if he just got special treatment. But either way it didn't matter; it was extremely sweet and always managed to get a blush out of Sora. "You didn't have to get up. I just wanted you to know."

Sora nodded, the heat still present in his cheeks. "Okay. Well, uh…have a good day?" He said unsurely. He didn't know if he was being blindly obvious, he had never quite managed to understand if what he said or his face expressed was misleading or and open book. But it seemed to work as Leon smiled and nodded in return. He stood up and left the room, and after hearing the door shut, left the house.

Sora lay on the bed, like he had done for many a day, and he thought. This also was not new to him, but what he thought of rather confused him. He had been used to the over-bearing presence of the memories he drowned himself in; hell, for eight months he had battled with it (And was still losing he decided.). The subconscious clenching of the new feelings towards his roommate, though still foreign, had made their intentions clear that they were firmly clenching around his heart. Today, a sudden turn had snuck into his mind on silent feet. 'Maybe you should go for a walk today?' A simple voice whispered.

Maybe he should. He had been in this small apartment for two weeks straight, fresh air would do him good. Fresh air would help him think better, maybe he could figure out the mess he had caught himself in. It was a far shot but…Sora sighed. He was just gonna go for a walk, no more thinking; just go!

He untangled himself from the masses of blankets that Leon had decided to heap upon him after 'hearing him shivering from down the hall.' He stood, scratching his wayward hair and yawning. Maybe today would finally be a breakthrough; he was hopeful. 'Bring something good today.' He thought, prayed even, as he crawled from his room to the bathroom.

The water was scalding hot, though, Sora didn't mind. He enjoyed the searing pain that took over his senses before giving way for releasing the tension in his body. Steam clouded the small room instantly, giving the illusion that he was in a sauna. He wet down the gravity resistant locks of hair, flinching as it matted to his forehead, opening a new escape path for the hot water. He washed his hair and let it sit, contenting himself to stare at the white paneled ceiling. White panels…just plain, boring, white panels.

After a while staring at the ceiling lost it's appeal and he carried on with his shower. He finally stepped out, the water getting lukewarm, and uncomfortable. He wrapped a towel around his waist and trudged over to the foggy mirror. 'Toothpaste.' He needed his toothpaste. He opened the cabinet, fumbling for said cinnamon-y substance.

The next thing happened so fast he barely had time to register it. He had grabbed the toothpaste firmly when the phone went off, he didn't expect it, nor did he expect his hand to pull back so suddenly, causing him to knock a shelf completely clear of its items. He stared into the silence, broken every so often by the ringing phone that he just couldn't force himself to go and answer.

Instead he looked down at the sink, where everything had fallen, or broken, or simply rested. 'Dammit!' He couldn't do anything without messing something up. He sighed, picking up the non-broken things ant stuffing them on the shelf. Tears poured down his eyes and he wiped them away furiously. He was so stupid! Why couldn't he do anything right? He threw things harshly into the trash bin, not caring what it was anymore as long as it wasn't in the sink…as long as he didn't have to look at it. He got so carried away with what he was doing that he picked up a shard of glass and threw it, only crying out in pain when it sliced across his palm.

He fell back and slid down the wall, grasping his hands as blood slid down his porcelain white arm. Tears still flooded his eyes, trailing telltale lines of misery down his cheeks, outlining his life in detail. He sniffed and opened his hand, a wave of nausea sweeping through him at the site of his blood seeping out of him. Good lord, what a mess he had made. He had just taken a shower too! He… His brown head tilted to the right, still staring at the crimson blood trailing down his arm in a slow deadly march. He scrunched his face up, bracing himself. He grabbed the broken piece of glass he had dropped when he fell and taking a deep breath he brought it down on his arm quickly.

He bit down on his tongue to hold in the scream that bubbled in his throat at the sharp pain that flooded through his nerves. He did it again, entranced by the blood that was running down his arm and now dripping onto his stomach, towel, and tiles. And once more, finally feeling the euphoria of the entire experience wear off, and he stared at the splinter of glass that he clutched in his hand, clear and coated red. Nausea washed over him again, his stomach churned viciously, and he scrambled over to the toilet, barely making it to the bowl before he heaved his stomach's contents.

Sora had never been good with blood.

He looked around the small white room, speckled with red drops and pools. 'Oh, no.' he thought. He ran to the sink and turned the tap on, stuffing his palm and arm underneath the freezing cold water, his heart thumped madly as the now pink water slid off his arm and down the drain. Sora fumbled through the cabinet and drawers looking for- AHA! He took the gauze bandage he had recovered and turned his attention back to his arms. The cuts weren't deep, but they were deep enough that it would take some time to scab over. He grimaced as he began wrapping his arm tightly in the white fabric, then winding it tightly with tape. After that was finished he began to clean the blood, not only from his stomach, but from the floor also.

He walked into his room, blood still pumping from the high he was coming down from, and pulled on some thick jeans that hung loosely off his frame. He ran downstairs and threw the towels into the washer and turned it on quickly adding soap, and shutting the lid. 'All evidence? Gone.'

He sighed. He felt better after that, like he had just released a great tension from his shoulders. He thought this kind of felt like peace, though he hadn't had a day of peace since his parents died. It was comforting and intoxicating, this high he was in and he smiled.

Sora went back upstairs to put on a shirt and his shoes. His thoughts of the outside air called to him like a beacon in the sky. He stuffed his feet into his sneakers and stuffed his arms into the well-insulated coat Kiari had bought him, feeling the heat building up even as he zipped it up. He grabbed his front door key and thrust it into his jeans pocket, looking around for anything else he might need. And he was almost to the door when he stopped and ran up stairs…his Journal; that's what he needed!

8

It wasn't often, that Sora looked back into his Journal. It made him realize how far he really _hadn't_ made it, but now he looked at it, re-reading some entries and some helter-skelter poems as the papers slipped through his hand like time. He hadn't realized how much he wrote in the thick book, (though he hadn't been writing in it as much since he arrived in Hollow Bastion.) until now. The thought of him relying so much on this little excuse for therapy almost made him throw it across the park he was currently situated in.

He stopped randomly, and opened the page up. It was from quite some time ago, for him at least.

'_May 17' _it read in thick blue ink. Underneath it a small poem lay, smudged and blurred by the beating the book had gone through in such a short amount of time. He could barely read it, but he tried regardless.

Pools of 

_Loneliness? or_

_Maybe emptiness?_

_No. _

_Just pools of _

_Consuming,_

_Overwhelming,_

_Uncontrollable,_

_nothingness._

_I am a pool, this pool_

_Of nothing, seated_

_In the hot desert…waiting._

_And you?_

_You are the rain._

_Hovering your dark clouds above me_

_So_

_I can see._

_I can't forget_

_What you are, but_

_I can't have you. _

_Because _

_You are the rain._

_And as much as _

_We…_

_The desert…_

_I!_

_Need you_

_You are not here._

_Not anymore._

_And you_

_Never_

_Will be again._

_Because it does not_

_Rain_

_In the desert._

_And so it does not rain_

_On me_

_And fill this pool of_

_Nothing._

He whispered it aloud to himself, feeling a sense of déjà vu overshadow his mind and rearrange his background to that of a dim lit room, with beige walls and dark blue carpet. He was suddenly listening to his brother crying on the other side of his door, begging for him to let him in, pounding his fists against the solid wood. His head was hurting and he was scrunched over the leather-bound book writing furiously, feeling angry, desolate, alone. Warm tears trailed down his cheeks, and he just ignored the little boy in the hall, sobbing, wailing… dying, just like he.

Sora blinked, and turned away, snapping the book shut guiltily. That was when they were still living in that old apartment in Destiny Islands, before they moved in with Kiari and Axel. He had been horrible to Roxas, hardly fair at all, and now he could hardly believe that Roxas still talked to him.

His face contorted with self-loathing. How could he be such an asshole? God, he had just thrown Roxas out of his life like he was a sack of potatoes. For months Roxas would come home from school to a seemingly empty house, to run and search for Sora's new hiding spot and make sure he hadn't killed himself, as he was afraid that was what would happen. And Sora would just sit there on the other side of a locked door, waiting for him to fall asleep so he could sneak out and go for a walk around the beach.

'_Roxas would have had a decent life had I never been his brother.'_

8

"Oh, you must be Sora!" A kind female voice called from the living room.

To be honest Stunned Speechless was who he was. He hadn't expected anyone to be in the apartment when he came back or for the hours after. He was slightly horrified that someone he didn't know about was in his house when he didn't know about it. And miffed that she knew his name already. He forced himself to stay calm, pulling off his parka and going to stuff it in the same closet that Leon left his, noticing along the way how clean the place was. He hadn't really noticed it until now, but the place was a wreck compared to its current glory. Everything sparkled and gleams, all the lights worked, the ashtrays were empty, a spot for everything and everything for a spot.

He looked around for the source of the voice. Running a hand through his hair as he did so. He couldn't find her, but he was compelled to answer anyway. "Yeah. Yeah, I am." He said, pulling his sleeves into his palms so they didn't expose anything. "And who are you?" He asked confused as all get out, standing in the middle of the living room like a lost puppy, and looking for a bodiless voice.

A head poked out from the small lavatory, "I'm Aerith." She smiled. "Leon's sister." She looked like Leon's sister too. Brown hair, long and braided, with mysterious eyes that could look into anyone's soul. She had a smile that seemed to be trying to eat up her face and a twinkle in her eye that made anyone giddy with glee.

"Oh, I didn't know you would be coming by today." He blushed mildly under her stare and rubbed his arm absently. Honestly he was a little unsettled by her presence. In the month and a half he had been here, the only people to ever occupy the house were him and Leon, no one else had had to deal with him. He switched from one foot to the other, feeling stupid because of his inability to meet her green eyes.

But he saw her smile and she said. "Well usually I make my visits during the weekdays, that way my daughter is in school, but she's had so many doctor's appointments lately…" She paused, and cheerless glint flashed in her eyes and her smiled waned a little. He felt the urge to ask if everything was okay, he didn't think it was his place. She caught a glimpse of his internal struggle (His eyes did betray everything after all.), and forced the smile back onto her face. "Any way, I couldn't imagine what this place looked like without my care and came over today." She paused looking around the sparkling house. "Although, I have noticed the place is a bit cleaner…you don't think it's your responsibility to clean up after my brother do you?"

Sora chuckled a little at the vehemence in her voice. Leon had said she was a sweet little thing, but Sora was beginning to wonder if she had told him to say that on pain of death. But her words caught up to him, and he realized how much of nothing he had really done. He ducked his head to hide the blush and the anger he felt for having done nothing. "No, I do little more than sleep and talk on the phone. I'm of no use at all to anything."

"Of course you are. You're helping right now by keeping me company."

He bowed his head. He didn't believe her and he had the sharp instinct that she knew this. He heard her sigh, but it wasn't the short-tempered sigh that Kairi always reserved for him. It was more of a sigh that said she knew what he was going through, how she knew was beyond him, but she knew, without a doubt in his mind. He kicked at the carpet absently, wondering if he should just go upstairs and keep out of her way or ask if there was anything he could do. But she answered for him. "Do you want to be more help? Okay then, you could dust the corners. If they don't get dusted cobwebs grow in them and I'm just to short to reach all the way up there."

Sora's eyebrows creased in confusion. He was shorter than she was, it was obvious as hell, and it honestly didn't make sense to him how he would be able to reach the corners if she could not. But he nodded, liking the fact that she was giving him something to do and cleaned out the corners. It wasn't hard, she could've easily reached the corners with the long poled duster she handed him, it only actually hurt when he stretched his arms all the way out, making his cuts sore and agitated, but she smiled and said it was much better than she ever could have gotten it. And it made him duck his head and blush.

"Anything else?" he mumbled, wanting to find something else to do besides continually tug the end of his sleeves over his wrist. Just to do something. To be around her for a bit longer. He didn't know what it was about her and her brother but they made him feel like he wasn't alone. Kairi and Axel hadn't ignored him, but their life had been so easy. Sure they missed having _him _around but they had never really been as emotionally attached as Sora had and Roxas was just too hard to make understand what he was feeling.

She looked up from cleaning the coffee table and looked around the place, spotting all the bags that she had gathered. "I've collected a fair amount of garbage; if you would take the bags I've stashed already to dumpster, I would appreciate it."

"Okay."

They worked hard to finish up the apartment, though, honestly there wasn't much left to do, and soon they were finished and resting on the couch. Sora lay back, his head leaned on the back of the couch, while Aerith curled up at the end. The silence drifted somewhere between comfortable and tense.

Sora sat, looking at his journal, which he had set down on the table when he was cleaning. He wasn't actually looking at it, really. No, he was looking through it. Thinking about his past, about how he shouldn't have even existed. It never honestly occurred to him that these thoughts were anything other than plain facts, truths that he would have to get used to. He believed it full-heartedly, too; had he never been born his parents would have been happier, never would've died on their way to his graduation. His lover never would've gotten sick, and his brother never would have been put through the hell he bestowed on him. His friends wouldn't go through the day, constantly hating him for not being able to move, and they did! He would never ruin Leon and Aerith's life, because he knew he would. He would never have had the chance.

"Thanks for the help. I never would've finished this fast by myself."

He was shocked out of his musings by her voice, instantly forgetting what he had been thinking about.

He smiled, a small smile. He suddenly felt a gloomy weight pressing on his lungs and heart. "It was nice just to be needed." He nodded.

She nodded too, her eyebrows creased and she sucked in her lips. "How are you enjoying Hollow Bastion?" She was having troubles finding a subject that she could open without too much awkwardness. But something was different with him. His mind worked differently than it did other people. It worked like some she used to know…used to know very personally.

"It's fun. Though, admittedly, I haven't been around much except today. It's a lot different than Destiny Islands. We practically live in huts."

She laughed, and it made him smile to know he could still bring a smile to someone's face. Kairi never laughed at him anymore. "It takes a while to get used to moving. Just take things one step at a time and you be fine."

He nodded. And the conversation halted once again, as he didn't know what to say. Everyone had told him that, and he felt like a parrot saying, "Yeah, I will." He touched his journal, absently running his thumb on the tips of the paper.

"What do you write in there?" she asked.

He looked at it and picked it up. He didn't write anything, nothing of importance. And if he did he wouldn't tell her. So he just sighed, and shrugged. "Nothing really. I write down useless bits of information. What I feel, some memories, nothing important."

She took a deep breath and smiled. "Mmm…I bet that's not true. I bet you write epic tales of love and deceit. Or maybe you tell things from a new point of view…" She looked at the book again and them at him. "Or do you write poetry?"

He looked at her slightly, and blushed, a small smile creeping across his face. And she smiled too. "I thought so." She looked at the book again. "You should show my brother sometime. He loves poetry, though don't ever tell him I told you that."

"He wouldn't want to read it. It's not that good." He grimaced at the thought of sharing his work with anyone, let alone, the person he was beginning to think he was falling for. It was too stupid, too painful, too focused on one person. He didn't want to look like a complete idiot if he didn't have to.

She just gave him a sideways glance. She didn't look like she was glaring at him or anything of the sort, just kind of taking him in, like as if for the first time she had seen him, or something in him. He settled his gaze on the book, ignoring her assessment of him.

He was only startled out of his pretend-to-ignore-you pretense when she took his hand and said, "If it's from you, it can't be bad."

&

That night, after Aerith went home, Leon cooked dinner for the both of them. He was quieter than he normally was, and it bothered Sora a small bit. His companion wasn't exactly the talkative type, but he was generally interested in Sora's well being. That night, Sora had had to ask how Leon's day went, which was answered with a short and flippant, "It was fine."

Throughout the next week Leon was home most of the time, and Sora was careful to cover the bandages on his arms, wearing long-sleeved shirts, even around the house. He didn't cut himself at all while Leon was around, making him feel more weighed down, and hurt, like he was trapped inside his head with the fleeting images of silver hair. It made him angrier and snappish, something Leon was always inquiring about.

Then, finally, Leon left for the afternoon, and Sora was alone, left to the temptation of the razor settled between his mattresses. He had settled himself to only cutting himself when it became too heavy, when he felt like he was suffocating, but it seemed like he was suffocating all the time now, and he couldn't get enough. He ran to his room and dove onto his bed, not caring about anything, except to get away from his thoughts, from the pain. And he cut hard, and deeper than he normally would, not giving a damn about his shirt. He breathed in relief when he felt the euphoria come again.

It was that night when he went to sit down for dinner, having changed already, washed his shirt and jeans with twice the detergent he normally would, that things took a drastic turn. They sat at the small circular table and Sora pushed his chicken around, eating only the really appetizing pieces, when Leon asked for the peas. Sora, without thinking, picked to bowl up and handed it to him, shocked to hell when his arm was grabbed and he was practically jerked across the table.

"What the…!" Sora exclaimed, jerking his arm back before Leon could get a look. "What the hell?" He fumed, sitting back down, pulling his sleeved into his palms again, while glaring at Leon.

The older man just sat, his mouth open, hands frozen mid-air. And Sora's blood froze as well, as he realized his mistake.

Oh, god, he saw! 

He rushed from the table and into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He leaned over the bowl of the toilet and emptied his stomach. He'd been caught. He'd been found out. Oh, god! NO! He heaved again, jumping as hands came to pull his hair back away from his face. Cold sweat sheeted his skin as he continued to vomit anything in his stomach.

He didn't even realize the tears that rolled down his face, or rag sponging his face. He only noticed the acute stab of fear in his heart. He had been caught. They would send him away, out of here, back to Destiny Island…into a sanitarium. He would be stuck in his head again, and left with the torment that the memories of his lover left for him. And he would lose Leon. Leon would want nothing to do with him.

He wiped his mouth, when she was done, swallowing repeatedly to lose the taste in his mouth. He was pulled away from the bowl and into Leon's warm chest. He was still crying, he couldn't stop, his sobs echoed throughout the apartment, and he clutched at the blue shirt beneath him, begging Leon not to send him away, he didn't want to leave. He wasn't sure what was being whispered in his ear, but the older man stroked his back and held him closer, holding Sora's head to his chest.

His tears eventually faded away, and his breathing evened out. He listened to his flat mates heartbeat through the blue shirt he wore. Thinking as loudly as he dare, 'Don't let me go. Don't let me go. Don't. _don't_.'

8

8

A/N: So…I've been a bad girl! I haven't updated in FOREVER! I'm so sorry. I started College a few weeks ago and I've been trying to cope with that as well as everything else, friends, family etc. I really should be doing my homework now, so you should feel loved that I got this chapter up tonight.

Anyway, the damned plot bunnies have been nipping at my heels. You have no idea.

So far I'm thinking of another Kingdom Hearts multi-chapter plus a one-shot.

I'm writing two multi-chapter Harry Potter fanfics, though I probably will only post one anytime soon. Plus the many one-shots that pop into my mind as I write.

Oh, and I just began a Pirates of the Caribbean fiction not too long ago, that will probably be posted within the month if I can get a good strong start on the second chapter.

So that's why it took so long. Everything is trying to kill me! I hope you liked this chapter, even though it was a bit short for my taste. It's so hard to write this. Anyway, do you think the introduction of Aerith was a bit weak? Tell me when you review.


	4. Love by Another Name

I got five reviews for the last chapter. I'm somewhat happy. Heck yea, slow but sure recognition. I feel like I'm turning into a review whore.

REVIEWERS! Here are your well-earned awards!

Venks: I agree, there aren't too many of this pairing out there. And I wish I could post chapters for you quicker but…I don't think that well when typing, so I take like a day to plan a scene, a day to write it and correct anything that doesn't make sense, and stop and repeat process. Plus, I'm lazy and my allotted time frame never give me the time I need to stare at the screen and contemplate my next move.

Dark sailor Saturn: I'm glad you loved my story enough to review and state your wonderful opinion…twice. Lol

Anonymous: You'll be pleased to see that I have not stopped this story (it just takes me forever to update), and that I have not helped to endanger the great LeonxSora pairing.

gHoStInThEdArK: I'm sorry about your loss. I can't even imagine. I'm writing from extensive research I do over depression, and what I thought would trigger me, and how I thought I would handle it if it were me. I had no idea I was such a good empath. I thank you for your compliment. It means a lot to me that I'm not retarded about the subject…sorry, that is a compliment, in some odd shape. I digress…THANKS!

8

8

Sora woke up sometime in the morning, or at least he was sure it was morning. It was cold and the windows were frostier than they would normally be when he got out of bed. He shivered, and looked around for his thick robe, thankful, for once in his life, that Kiari bought absolutely anything if left to her own devices. He rubbed his eyes, getting rid of the sleep and the stiffness that accompanied crying. He looked around his room, trying his best to remember how he had gotten there. He remembered…he remembered Leon catching sight of his arm, and running to the bathroom (God, he could still taste it in his mouth.), he remembered pleading with Leon not to send him away, and then? He must have fallen asleep.

He let out a shaky breath, wrapping his arms around himself. He'd been caught; Leon was going to send him away now. He was so stupid! How could he have been so careless? He clenched his jaws in anger. He knew this would happen. He couldn't do anything without fucking up! It would have been so much better if he hadn't moved here. If he hadn't met Leon. If he hadn't been born!

"I shouldn't have been born." He whispered tearfully. It galled him to think of how his life was so much of a mistake. How better everyone would have been if he hadn't been there. How-

"Wanna run that by me again?" Someone murmured from behind him and he jumped, automatically turning to face his grim faced…friend? Sora was more than surprised that he didn't look angry, or wary, or bemused. He had the same relaxed face that he always seemed to have, with his cobalt eyes staring into his soul and his mouth formed into the small frown he had when he wasn't smiling. Sora was more than a little put off by the fact that he wasn't showing any emotion at all. If Roxas had found him he would've clutched at Sora and cried (The kid had more of an understanding for what was happening than Sora thought was healthy.). Had it been Kairi, she would've demanded to know what was in his head and promptly set up appointments with a psychiatrist. Oh, and had Axel found him, he would have had a screaming fit that could've lasted until the end of time. He would have preferred all of that to this, to this normal, empty, stare.

He gulped and hugged himself tighter. "I was complaining about the cold." He lied. He knew Leon wouldn't believe him. He knew it even as he said it, but he did anyway. Somehow he didn't think that telling him what was really going through his head would really steady Leon's nerves, even if he didn't believe him. Oh, he was just going to send him away, he might as well start packing. Suddenly, he shuddered at the idea of going back to Destiny Island. He didn't want to go. He didn't want to face them all again. "Please don't make me leave." He begged.

Leon just looked down to the floor, stuffing his hands in his back pockets. He sighed. "I should after what I saw, don't you think?" He raised his eyebrow at him.

Sora shook his head, his eyes wide and pleading. "No, no! Leon, it's- it's not that bad! I promise…I only started the other week…a week and a half ago to be exact. I'm not addicted, I swear! I…"

"It only took you a week and a half to do this?" Leon asked with wide, disbelieving eyes, snatching his arm and yanking down the sleeve. Sora's knees buckled, Leon's grasp was too harsh and it jerked at his cut arm, but Leon's arm came around his back to steady him. "To just do this! It took you a week?" He moved his arms in front of Sora's face so he could see all the damage he had done. Sora flinched at the white bandages that wrapped around the extent of his forearm, splotched with red from his latest date with the razor.

His breath became erratic and he tried to squirm away from Leon. "No…NO! You don't understand! You don't get it!" He glared at Leon, angrily. How dare he patronize him? He had no idea what went on in his life! It wasn't exactly a walk in the park. "And you never will."

"Get what?"

"It's none of your damned business!" Sora ground out between his clenched teeth. He jerked his body trying to get out of Leon's grasp.

"Yes, it is." Leon said, his hands still firmly holding onto Sora.

"No. It isn't."

"And what makes you think so?" He asked wrapping one arm around the young man's waist and taking his free hand to turn his face upwards towards his. Sora's eyes were bright, open, and pained, and it was just as painful to look into those eyes. "Why?"

"Because!" He deflated a bit and sighed, sadly. "Because…you'll be just like everyone else. You'll pity me, or you'll get angry with me, or…or, fuck. You'll laugh at me. But any way, you…" He caught hold of Leon's eyes. "You just won't care. No one does. No one gives a damn."

"Who told you that?"

Sora scoffed, and rolled his eyes. "No one has to _tell_ me. It's just the cold, hard truth." He finally managed to push himself away from the taller man and backed up to the other side of the room, wrapping his arms around his waist.

"Tell me anyway."

Sora looked at him disbelievingly and shook his head. He stared blankly at the floor before he sighed. "He…he left me. Just died one night. And it was my fault. I don't even have the right to cry about it." He shook his head, dislodging the memories of his diseased lover. "He had been sick for a week, and no one could figure it out. And we…we were supposed to go to a celebration for one of our friends baby shower. He didn't want to go, he didn't feel good, but I made him go anyway. And he got so sick when he came home and…oh, god!" He took a deep breath and sat down on his bed.

When he continued his voice was barely more than a whisper, laden with emotions. His voice was so constricted, so fearful, it made Leon wonder why he hadn't spoken of this before. "He started throwing up blood. I wanted so bad to call the hospital, but the stupid fucker wouldn't let me!" He yelled, angry with himself or with his lover, Leon wasn't sure. "He said he was fine…but I should've known. I should've strapped him into the car and driven him to the hospital, but I just helped him into bed, and I crawled in next to him, just like normal.

"When I got up the next day he was still there. He was an early riser, always was." He giggled at the thought. "No matter how early I tried to get up so I could beat him out of bed he was already up, and had been for an hour. But he was still asleep and I shook his shoulder to see if he was okay, and he…he didn't move! He didn't move; he didn't twitched." There was a long pause, in which Leon thought Sora might clam up and shut down. But Sora shook his head and continued. "And he was dead." Sora shrugged. Leon frowned and, against his better judgment, sat down next to the distraught man and put his arms around his waist. Sora leaned his head against his flat mate's shoulder, bringing his hands up to rest on the other's chest. "He just died in his sleep. Jesus, Leon. He was only twenty-two, and he died." His throat constricted, but he was happy that no tears fell from his eyes. He just held himself closer to Leon, refusing to meet the other's eyes, until he was pulled into a tight embrace. He felt Leon's long fingers run through his hair and he sighed. "Please don't send me away."

"I won't." Leon promised. "I won't."

Sora breathed a sigh of relief.

"But…if you stay here you have to stop this." He said waving to his arm. "And, I want you to see a therapist."

Sora's eyes widened, and he stood up and looked down to Leon. "No. No therapist, no psychiatrist, no counselor. I'm tired of them all. I don't…they'll just put my in an institution. Don't. I don't want to go there."

"You don't have to tell them about the cutting. But tell them about the symptoms you're having at least…"

"I don't have symptoms!" He yelled, glaring at the man still sitting on his bed. He shook his head and continued calmly, "I'm okay. Just a little stressed."

"No! This isn't stress, Sora! I think you have depression."

Sora let out a short ironic laugh. "I do not have depression. I'm not depressed, just having a sad spell. My boyfriend of five years died eight months ago. Yeah, I'm a bit upset!" He glared.

Leon who, stood up also and crossed his arms across his chest, met his glare evenly. "One session." He said stubbornly. "It's all I ask. Then you can stay here as long as you want, job or no, I'll cover it until you get can get a house for you and your brother. One session, and no more cutting."

They glared at each other for several minutes before Sora yelled, "FINE!"

Leon left the room and Sora sat down again to stew. What right did that jackass have to make him get an appointment with anything? It's not like they knew each other that well! They hadn't even known for six months, hell they had barely known each other for three months. He didn't have the right to do anything other than sit at the table and ask how his day was going. And yet he was already acting like Kairi, making appointments, setting rules. He pulled out his journal from under his pillow and searched around for a pen to use. Finally he began,

_&&Dear Journal,_

_I'm ashamed to admit that I have sunk. And for no reason other than I didn't want to sail. My stupidity has over ridden my progress and I am once again thrown into a downward spiral, from which I will never fully recover._

_A few weeks ago I began to cut myself, but yesterday I was caught. And what makes it worse is that Leon, who caught me, As if there was anyone else to catch me. Now, he wants me to go see a therapist. I've stooped so low as therapy, again. Isn't that wonderful? And what's worse, I'm scared to go. I'm afraid they'll keep me for observation, like I'm a rat that they don't understand. I tried to tell Leon not to worry about it, but the bastard won't let it go. He thinks I have depression…absolute bullshit. So he's going to schedule me an appointment._

_What gives him the right?_

_Honestly! We haven't even known each other that long and he's acting like my mother would have. But I'm not that bad, I think. He's just over reacting. And maybe that's what makes it so bad, because he hasn't known me for long and already he seems to care. I've never met anyone like that. I don't know. What right does he have to care about me, when my best friend doesn't? What right does he have to care about someone who can't find it him to care about anyone else? He shouldn't care about me. He shouldn't try. He should just leave it. Just leave me to die._

_Like all the others. &&_

They didn't talk to each other for the next few days, more to the point Sora didn't talk to Leon, though Sora had the sneaking suspicion that an appointment had been made. The gloating smirk Leon seemed to sport was enough to give his the hint. And his suspicions were confirmed, not a day later, when he saw the appointment date and time on the fridge door, right under the picture Roxas had drawn for him. Bastard.

&$&$&$

"Sora?"

He recognized the voice as Aerith's, soft and willowy, and it floated to him under the crack of the door. He sat on his bed a day before the scheduled appointment, in his dim room. He had pulled the blinds to his windows shut and then put blankets on top of the blinds themselves. Then, he had shut the door and locked it, turned out the lights, and sat on his bed.

He didn't honestly know what he was doing. There was no real purpose for why he did any of that but it made him feel calm and tranquil. **Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. **His mind hummed to him. He rocked back and forth on his bed, following the instructions in his head, and ignoring the person on the other side of his door. Ignoring everyone, if truth be told, everything.

He rubbed his arms slowly. He used to have nice arms. He used to spar, everyday from four to five, using his weapon, the keyblade. He didn't even know where the keyblade was anymore. Kairi had packed up most of his things when he moved from the sanitarium to her house. For all he knew, she had thrown it out, like she did with most the things that didn't have safety written all over them. Sora really thought that she got rid of it because it was something he shared with _him_. She had never liked anything they did together, unless she had a firm grip on what Sora did. He thought that was because they used to date and when they did she always had control over his every thought. It irked her that he didn't care what Sora did, as long as it made the little brunette happy.

She was angrier than she let on when Sora left her to be with another man. She didn't talk to him for a month, but she claimed that was because she had a lot of work to do. He didn't know why it had bugged her so much…it's not like she actually loved him at all, at the time (Because he wanted to believe that she loved him now so very desperately.). When they were together she had been seeing the man she's married to at the time. He knew that…hell, Axel knew that he knew, yet she didn't like it at all. Axel had told him it was because she didn't have a say in what Sora did after words. "It was like you left her, and then you took flight, and it made her mad that you didn't take her with you." Sora remembered the red head saying.

"Sora, hun, are you okay?" Aerith called again, more worried than before. He just laid down and settled under the thick blankets.

Does she know? He asked himself that, not for the first time since sitting here. Did Leon go out and tell everyone about the basket case he was forced to live with? Was his secret out in the town and currently making a trip towards the kingdom? What was being said about him by people who had never even seen his face? Were they laughing at him? Mocking him? Did they jeer at his pain?

He shook his head vehemently. Leon wouldn't do that to him…he hoped. Leon was a good person. He made dinner, watched out for Sora's well being, shoveled snow. Leon was a great guy. **It's why you feel inadequate to him.** A little voice in his head sneered. **It's why you'll never be good enough for him. **

&$&$&$&$

"Aerith said you didn't come out of the room at all last night."

"I was asleep." He deadpanned.

Leon scoffed as he gently placed his hand on the younger man's waist, guiding him through the parking lot towards his car. "Really? Did you dream?"

Sora looked up, stopping in the middle of the parking lot, and he stared into Leon's face. The hand had caught him off guard, but the question posed was completely out there. Did he dream? What kind…of…Huh, how bizarre. "I don't dream." He said confidently, ice still lacing his words. He was still sore about the fact that Leon had saw fit to make a damned psychologist appointment.

Leon opened the door for Sora and he crawled in, grumbling all the way. He strapped himself in as Leon was getting in the car. Sora didn't say much else. He just sat as far away from Leon as possible, scrunched on one side of the car. If Leon noticed he didn't say anything. He just drove through the town, listening to strange music and smoking a cigarette every once and a while. His cool expression never changed, or faltered.

When they got to the doctor's office Sora's anger deflated completely, being outweighed by an unmistakable fear of what would happen to him on the other side of that door. He stumbled out of the car, his heart pounding wildly, and he just stopped. He hadn't been fine with the idea of coming here, now that he was actually here…Sora thought he might have a heart attack.

"Leon…?" Sora was going to ask if it was absolutely necessary that he go to some stupid doctor who wouldn't tell him anything he didn't already know, but it was stuck in his throat. He gripped the still open car door, using it heavily for support.

"Sora? Sora, come on." Leon said, walking around the car to look at Sora's feeble attempt to be one with the car door. He stepped towards the little brunette, pulling him away from the car door as he shut it. With Sora successfully away from the car, Leon led the other into the building, using brute force and persuasion, of course, but he got him in there.

&$&$&$&

"Do you feel okay? You looked ill at ease with being in that office."

Sora was still being quiet, but it wasn't much different than the past few days. It was just the fact that he had been white as a ghost when he was in the waiting room, and looked about ready to faint when his name was called.

"I'm still mad at you." Sora growled. He was still tense, and he sat with his back as straight as a board and hand in his lap. He was trying to force himself to relax, like he had been once upon a time.

The visit with the therapist hadn't been as horrifying as he thought it would be, the doctor had been nice and spoke to him like he was an adult instead of a three year old. And though the doctor had had a no nonsense attitude she had still been a rather nice person. But that would never help Sora get over his fear of them or anything to do with them.

"Sora, stay on subject."

"I didn't look okay because people based in mental health and I don't get along." Sora said quietly, twiddling his thumbs and keeping his gaze firmly on the road, trying not to think of his little room and the things they had said to him.

"Why?"

"It's nothing important." He said with finality.

"Okay."

Sora continued to look out the window, glad that Leon had dropped the subject. He didn't want to talk about anything dealing with Destiny Islands. The therapist had made him talk about it and that was bad enough. Twice in a day and he might have a breakdown. He shook his head, trying to get the thoughts out. He turned to Leon (It was his fault after all, he had wanted Sora to see the doctor.) and said. "I'm still mad at you."

"Fine." And that was all he said. Which irked Sora to no end. He wanted Leon to be upset, to miss something about him, anything, really. He smiles, his voice, his general happy presence (Even though he could admit he wasn't that happy anymore.). Sora wanted to have a purpose again. He wanted to be the reason someone was happy. He used to be really funny, he used to make people laugh just by making faces. Now, it was all too hard. They all pitied him, hated him, babied him; take your pick. Everyone did, except Leon. But he still couldn't get him to laugh. **It's because you're not funny anymore.** Said the small voice in his head.

He shook his head again and cast Leon a sideways glance. He didn't want to be like this anymore. He didn't want to be sad. He didn't want to be confused. He didn't want to be hateful. He just didn't want to be! He stared out the window, forcing his thoughts out the window and getting lost in the trees, and their peace and soundness.

They were almost to the house when Sora sighed, contentedly, and finally said. "Thanks anyway."

Leon took his eyes off the road briefly, catching a glance of Sora out of the corner of his eye. He moved one hand from the wheel and over to Sora's hand. "You're welcome." It was a quick and barely noticeable gesture, but when Leon moved his hand back to the steering wheel, he brushed his hand lightly over Sora's thigh.

Inside Sora started for the stairs but Leon's voice stopped him. "You wanna call your brother? You haven't talked to him in three days."

He sighed. He really didn't want to talk to anyone. He wanted to go up to his room and sleep the rest of the day away. He didn't want anyone to ask about his day. He didn't want to here anymore worry. He barely wanted to live with people anymore. But he turned around and nodded.

Leon handed him the phone, going into the kitchen while Sora went into the living room. Sora listened to the ringing counting quietly, and playing with the ring on his finger.

"Lo?" Came the high-pitched voice of Roxas.

Sora frowned. "Hey, bub."

"Sora! Where have you been, mis'er? I've been worried sick!"

Sora grimaced. He believed it. "I've been running around." He said quietly, glaring at the wall in between the living room and the kitchen.

"Oh. Hey, hey Sora! It's March!" Roxas yelled, enthusiastically.

Sora thought for a moment, thinking of all the possible things that could mean, but not coming up with anything good. Or, at least, anything Roxas would be happy about. So he asked, "Yeah?"

"Yeah. And that means school ends in another three months!"

Sora nodded, becoming more and more confused. "Okay?"

"And that means I can move in with you…right?"

Sora hit his forehead. He had completely forgot. And that was three months away. God, he didn't want to let the kid down. He sighed. "Hopefully. I still don't have a job."

"Well, get one!" Roxas yelled, as though it were the most logical thing in the world.

"I'm trying, bossy." Sora snapped, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He didn't mean to snap. He knew Roxas missed him. He knew he just wanted to be together again. But things just weren't going the way he wanted them to, and he didn't want any more pressure than was necessary.

There was a pregnant pause, in which Sora though Roxas might actually hang up. But he didn't.

"I just miss you, Sora." He said in a quiet voice

"I miss you too, bub." Sora whispered.

"Are there any kids there?" His brother asked carefully.

He laughed, "How should I know?"

"You're supposed to look, goof!"

"Rox, it's a big city." Sora shrugged, leaning back on the couch, and staring at the wall in front of him. "I'm sure there has to be some kids somewhere around the city."

"My friend has a daughter." Leon said from the doorway. Sora snapped his head over to look at Leon, wondering how he had snuck in the room without him noticing. He smirked, "She's nine."

"Who's that?" Roxas demanded.

"That's my room mate, Leon."

"Let me talk to him!"

Sora looked over to Leon, and shrugged, apologetically. "Do you mind if he talks to you?"

He smiled a little bit, and pushed off the wall, walking to Sora. "No. Hand it over."

Pause. (A/N: What is he saying, you ask? Let us find out, but keep in mind Sora can't here him. "_What's you name?"_)

"Squall Leonhart-Gainsborough."

Pause. ("_I thought Sora said your name was Leon?")_

"Well, would you like to go around being called Squall? Sounds like a freaky duck." He said, making a disgusted face.

Sora laughed, quietly, putting his face in his hands. Thinking over everything he'd said to his brother. He felt bad for yelling at him, but Roxas shouldn't have told him what to do like their mother used to. He whined, still listening to one side of there conversation, and feeling worse by the second.

Pause. (_He laughed, "What do you do for a living Leon?")_

"I own a set of apartments with my sister."

Pause._ ("And what do you think of my brother?")_

Leon looked over to Sora's hunched form. He took in the arc of his back, the way he buried his head in his hand and the way his hair stuck out even worse when he did. He thought about his rare smiles, and bright, bold, sapphire eyes, that glowed when he was in the sun. He smiled, "He's a cool guy." Sora looked up, meeting his eyes. And Leon smiled even wider.

Pause. _("Don't be too hard on him. He likes you, which is very big, cause he hasn't liked anyone in a long time. And if you hurt him, I'll make you pay!")_

Leon's smile faded a bit, all the way really. "Don't worry about that."

Pause. _(Roxas sighed, "He's not doing good." He said tearfully.)_

He nodded, "I know."

Pause. _("Make sure he's okay, please?")_

"I'll do my best, sir!"

He laughed and handed the phone back to Sora.

"What did you say, you brat?" Sora demanded, feigning suspicion.

"Nothing."

"Yeah, sure. Look, I'm gonna go. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay. I love you Sora."

Sora exhaled his deep breath, shaking his head sadly, "I love you too, Rox."

He hung up the phone before one of the adults could get their paws on the phone. Then, he put the phone down and threw his body up onto the couch, so he could stretch his body across it.

"That's one demanding kid." Leon said from the doorway he had wandered back to.

Sora nodded. "Yeah, he's not as bad as he seems though."

"He sounds like a good kid."

"He's a great kid." Sora said, feeling more and more like a terrible person every time he took a breath.

Why did he always say such mean things? Why did he snap at his brother for wanting to be with him? Why couldn't he just be better? Sora covered his eyes to make it go away, taking deep breathes, and thinking about anything but questions.

"Want some dinner?" Leon asked. Sora looked at him from under his hand, frowning at the thought of grease. But Leon seemed to have thought of this. "I made some salad, threw in some grilled chicken…it's light."

Sora nodded and they made their way back into the kitchen, making plates and sitting down to the table. They ate in a comfortable silence, but Sora wanted something to talk about, something to get him to stop thinking.

"I didn't know you owned the apartments." He stated, after swallowing a bite.

"Yeah, me and my sister. Our dad left it to us when he died." He shrugged.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. He was ready to go. It's my mom that wasn't ready to see him leave."

"Where's she?" Sora asked. Leon had never brought his parents up. He had talked about everything else, and so Sora was curious to know why his parents were off subject.

Leon looked at his food for a few moments. "She died too. Not a few months before you got here." He looked up, his stormy eyes meeting Sora's clearly,

"Oh," Sora said, remembering how he had yelled Leon didn't understand earlier. He felt even worse now. Leon seemed to be going through just as much as he was and he was being a selfish little baby. "I'm sorry." He offered.

"Don't be. She wanted to leave. She wanted to be with my dad."

"It's still sad." Sora said indignantly.

Leon smirked. "This is the most I've seen you talk in the entire time you've been here."

"I'll stop." Sora glared at the man across from him.

"No, don't. I like hearing your voice."

Sora blushed. They stood to put their plates away, talking about politics, the king and his choice to arrange marriages for his six daughters. They talked about the activities in Hollow Bastion. They talked about traveling, about job openings, about houses. Sora sat on the counter, watching as Leon cleaned a bit, getting more and more wrapped up in his head, as they talked about the world around them. And then Leon asked something he completely didn't expect.

"So, what was his name?"

"What?" Sora asked, blinking wildly.

"His name, your love?"

Sora looked down at the counter. "I don't want to talk about it."

"We don't have to talk about him. I'm just curious as to what his name is."

"It doesn't matter." Sora said irritably.

"The man you were in love with for five years, his name doesn't matter?" He asked skeptically. Leon walked over, standing in front of Sora so he couldn't run away.

Sora snorted at his audacity. He picked his head up to look at Leon, sneering as he growled, "I was told to just stop thinking about him. That means everything."

Leon made of face that clearly said he was not impressed. "Who told you that?" He asked, incredulously

"My original psychiatrist."

"That's bullshit." He said frankly.

"No, it's not." Sora argued, trying to make justice for trying to erase everything to do with the man he loved for half a decade. "I can't let go if I keep thinking of him."

"So, you're just going to try and forget five years of you life?" Leon raised his eyebrows.

"If that's what it takes!" Sora yelled.

He was still calm, still hadn't lost his temper, when he asked again. "What was his name?"

"It doesn't matter." Was the bitter reply.

"To you it does."

"NO! It doesn't."

"Just tell me. Tell me and I won't ever bring it up again. Sora, please." Leon begged.

Sora grew a lump in his throat, he didn't want to say it, and he didn't want to give in. He didn't want to admit to the fact he knew he was going about this the wrong way. He shook his head, becoming angry. He knew it was wrong. He wasn't kidding anyone. He had known it was wrong to want to forget even when he started.

"RIKU! You bastard! His name was Riku!" Sora yelled, jumping off the counter and pounding on Leon's chest. "His name was Ri-ku!" His name broke in his mouth, and he rested his head on Leon's chest. Leon stroked his hair soothingly, holding him close, and he cried again. When his sobs subsided he tilted Sora's head up, forcing him to meet his eyes. "His name was Riku." Sora whispered again, as if it had just dawned on him, as if he actually had forgotten.

He nodded. "You said that." Leon murmured, before pressing his lips to Sora's.

8

8

A/N: Yeah, I have a feeling I'm going to be pelted with marshmallows. Especially since my next chapter won't be up for at least another two weeks. If it makes you feel any better, I didn't mean to…that was the only good ending I could find for this chapter. PLEASE, DON'T BEAT ME! I BEG YOU! Sorry…Stares at hands in mock embarrassment. I shouldn't be allowed to write author's notes at 3:30 in the morning.

Review…review…I'll love you forever and make a greater effort to post the next chappie faster.

_InnocentGuilt_


	5. Are you my boyfriend?

A/N: Okay! So, I'm a happy camper! I got like…eight reviews….Uh…YES!

And here they are.

Sora-is-a-hottie: Wow! You had a lot to say. (Takes deep breath.) I personally think the story has too much detail, but hey, I'm a firm believer in 'the devil is in the detail'. Um. Remember that Sora hasn't really been out of the house much because he is suffering from depression and when one has depression just getting out of bed is a goal. Uh, I don't put detail in the apartment because it's just not important, the color of the wall, what pictures Leon has, it just doesn't matter, not to me, not to Leon, honestly, not to Sora. Just doesn't matter. However you do get your way on a certain aspect of your wants. You'll have to read to find out though.

Silver-Angel-Wings: Yeah…it took like three weeks…I'm sorry. I'm giving out special flogging licenses to everyone who actually looked on the two-week mark and saw nothing was there. Lol

The Teenage Writer: Yeah… my description of emotions and all went down the hole in this chapter. I just didn't have time to make it like I wanted it. I'll be back with my angsty self next chapter though.

Venks: I have been pelted with marshmallows…(Bows head.) I have learned my lesson…kinda. Haha. Okay well here's the next chappie you were waiting for.

Anonymous: And now I have been threatened with bricks. OH! Who knew being an author would be SOOOOO dangerous! Some one save me. Ha! Okay, he's your chapter.

GhostInTheDark (It takes to much time to do the funky thingys!): Wow! First, let me tell you how insanely jealous I am that you are in London….WOW! I AM INSANELY JEALOUS THAT YOU ARE IN LONDON! Okay, I'm better. Two, I wanna read your story! (Said in extremely whiny voice that you would hit me for could you hear me.) Three, here's the next chappie.

The Glass Slipper: I'm so happy you like my story. I hope you got all the way through the chapters, but if you didn't hopefully you'll get there eventually. Any way. Thank you for both of you're reviews, I'm a review whore…I love them like cheap sex.

Have a chapter my pets!

&$&$&$&$&$&$

A kiss on his right cheek…a kiss on his nose…a kiss on his left cheek…a hand on his side…a hand in his hair…a nose rubbing against his…a kiss on his forehead…a kiss on his lips.

Sora sighed, shaking the remnants of his sleep away from him as Leon coaxed him to wake.

"Hum…wha'd'you want?" He grumbled trying to turn over, only to find himself pulled back to face the older man. He cracked one eye open, seeing a blurry outline of his flat mate hovering two inches away from him.

"I want you to wake up." Leon said, rubbing back Sora's hair from his eyes. It had become his fixation in the last three weeks, seeing Sora's eyes. Sora didn't much get it. His eyes were like every other person with blue eyes. They were nothing like Leon's, with stormy ocean blue eyes.

"Mmm…reason?" Sora closed his eyes again, snuggling further into the pillow.

"I'm taking you out of the apartment." Leon took a firm hold of Sora's shoulders and pulled him to sitting position with more ease the Sora liked. His eyes snapped open and he looked at the older man in shock before he registered what had been said to him before he had been hauled upright.

He whined. "Out there? I could get mauled or attacked! I could be eaten!" He said, throwing himself back, like a petulant child, and stuffing his head under the pillow.

He laughed and shook Sora playfully. "I'll protect you, your fragileness." Leon said grabbing the pillow away from him.

"I don't want to."

"I know you don't, but you need sunlight."

"Sunlight, bad. Me, vampire." Sora growled, proving to Leon he was, indeed a vampire. Or…trying to.

Leon wasn't buying it. And the fact that Sora knew that he wasn't buying it, made Sora want to try even harder to prove his vampire-ness…ness. Plaghth! Whatever.

"No, you Sora. And Sora's are a very rare breed, and if they don't get enough pure air they shrivel up and turn into itsy bitsy, little raisins." Leon said matter-of-factly, holding up his fingers to show how small the raisin would get.

Sora smiled a little, having rolled over onto his back, he looked up at Leon, truly happy for the first time, it felt like, in over a year. He put on the best serious face he could muster, and stuck out his bottom lip. He pouted. "I don't like where this is going."

Leon's eyes softened, even Sora could see it from the door he was leaning on, to swirling gray-blue clouds, and Sora thought he might give in to him, when Leon smiled, piteously, and said, "I'm sorry. Come on. Out of bed. Get dressed."

"You're serious, aren't you?"

Leon came forward and kissed his forehead, whispering, "Unfortunately." Before leaving the room to go downstairs.

Sora got out of bed…and then fell back into bed, sighed and tried once more. Having pleasingly succeeded at standing up straight, he stretched, trying desperately to fight off the sleep ninjas that kept attacking him ruthlessly in his weakened state, and dressed, just like he was told to do, still sleepy, (Fucking ninjas) and sluggish. He ambled down the stairs and into the living room where Leon was waiting with his jacket in hand.

"It's a bit nippy, so you'll need this for a while." he said, helping the still sleep-ridden Sora into his coat.

"Where're we going?" He asked, yawning, and falling, semi-on purpose into Leon's chest, deciding not for the first time in the last week that he could get used to this.

Leon wrapped his arms around Sora, in a way that felt as if he could be safe from the very fires of hell. "First," His gravelly voice purred right next to the little brunettes ear, "We are going to go to lunch." Sora whipped his head around to look at the clock that blared 12:30 pm, "I thought you would like to see the museum that was set up around here a few years ago, great read…lots of activities." Leon nodded, as he grabbed his slim hips and lifted Sora off the ground, making them about the same height. Leon smirked happily at the pout that formed on his cute features (Damn, their were days that he wished he wasn't so damned short.) "Then, it's off to my sister's house, where you'll get to meet my sister's family, and share in a feast of one of the greatest cooks of all time."

"You're literally keeping me out _all_ day, aren't you?" He pouted, even more, realizing the comfort of his bed was going to be out of his reach all day.

"Yes."

Sora sighed but let Leon take him out the door.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&

"I've eaten here before." Sora said as his eyes, took in the small little restaurant next to 'Cid's gummi part and auto repair'. It was the same restaurant he had come to his first day here, Hewey, Dewey, and Louie's Diner.

"Have you?" Leon asked as he tilted the menu so he could look at Sora properly.

"Yeah, the first day I was here. That day I…" Sora blushed, looking back down at his menu and turning the unhealthiest shade of red as he mumbled. "The day I spilled coffee all over you."

Leon smirked at the embarrassment plainly glowing on Sora's face. "Oh, yeah. I had almost forgotten about that."

"I wish you would've." Sora mumbled.

"I don't know why. It got me all hot and sticky."

Sora grimaced, trying not to laugh at what Leon said, and what he actually meant. He looked around the diner, making sure no one was staring at them. There really wasn't that many people hanging around the place, an old couple sitting by the windows, a few people at the bar. He smiled at the young couple that were sharing a split a few booths down from him. The lunch rush had died down by the time they had arrived an hour and a half after they left the apartment. Leon kept making odd detours to keep them from the restaurant, finding a reason to slip his hand in to Sora's as he turned a corner and not letting go unless he had to.

As it was they had been in the diner for half an hour just looking at the menus and talking. Leon had stretched himself out all over the place; he slouched in his bench and he feet were crossed at the ankle, resting gently against Sora's bench. Sora sat opposite him, folding himself into sitting Indian style like only he could do.

Leon smiled as he watched the distant, young man read over the menu, sucking in his bottom lip, and fighting to force an errant strand of hair behind his ear.

"What did you have to eat last time you were here?" Leon asked.

"I don't know…something with chicken in the name." Sora said, looking over the menu. He scrunched his nose. He honestly didn't want to eat anything on the menu, but Leon had made it his goal to make sure Sora ate at least two meals a day with sporadic vegetables or fruits stuffed into his hands as Leon cooked some random food for one of his five meals of the day. He had to hand it to Leon, he had become pretty good at guessing what Sora was in the mood to eat. Usually he didn't eat that much, so his meal normally consisted of a salad or some vegetable based serving for dinner. Fruits for lunch, always fruit. But this place didn't serve fruit.

"You should try the vegetable soup." Leon said off-handedly, seeming to pick right threw the other's mind.

Sora glanced to Leon, and then began looking around the menu for the soup section, searching all the sub-categories for a hidden soup, but there was none. "Where'd you see soup?" He asked, staring at his flat mate, eyes brimming with curiosity.

"One of my friends owns the place." Leon said referencing to the restaurant. "She doesn't put it on the menu, but she makes it specially for her favorite customers. It's her best work, and it doesn't taste as good when made in bulk, and she can't put it in the fridge, so it only goes to those close to her."

"But I'm not one of her favorite customers."

Leon smirked. "You are now."

The waiter came and took their orders, hurrying quickly to deliver it to the cook.

Having been sitting in the same position for more than forty-five minutes, Sora finally unwrapped himself. He had completely forgotten that Leon's feet were resting under him, so when he put his feet down he gasped at the feeling of pointy boots under his shoes. He jerked his feet back up momentarily, looking over at Leon, whose gaze was soft and encouraging. Sora watched the corners of his hopefully-unspoken-boyfriend's lips twitch up as Sora set his feet down again, gently slipping one between the other's ankle, hooking his other one under both of their ankles.

Leon small smile made up for any uncertainty Sora had been feeling earlier, so he smiled back, the big goofy grin that Kairi used to make fun of him about.

Breaking the spell that had settled over them in the span of a few brief seconds, Leon suddenly replaced his expression to his normal stoic mask. He cleared his throat, barely covering up the loud groan that the doors to the kitchen made, and said, "Be prepared."

"For what?" Sora asked, completely perplexed by the sudden shift in the older man.

"Leon!" A soft, and comforting female voice called across the diner. Sora's head swiveled to see a tall woman standing in the middle of the door, two swinging door flapping behind her, making her long black hair flow behind her. Leon had the graces to blush in the slightest way, tilting his head over, motioning her to come sit. Sora's mind cleared near instantaneously. Perplexing feelings gone, now. He felt better. "Oh, goodness I didn't think you would ever come here again. You haven't been here in six months." Her voice continued.

"You're about to meet the most famous chef in three states. She's renowned for all of her work, cooking or not, and her generosity and courtesy in her restaurants." Leon whispered, pulling up a chair as the woman walked calmly towards their table. Her lips were upturned, not in a smile, though. It was like it was natural for her to look this gracious and caring, even though her outfit screamed 'I could beat you into a pulp in three seconds flat.'

"Leon, where have you been? What have you been doing?" She smiled, taking the chair Leon had pulled up for her.

"I've been taking care of a few things here and there. You know how busy I get during the holidays."

"Yes, you're right. You'll work yourself to death if you keep this up." She said leaning over to shake his shoulder.

"You tell me this every time I walk within a ten-foot radius of you." Leon said indifferently, shrugging off her hand, and smirking at her.

She glared lightly, her pink, shimmery lips sparkling in the light of the café. "It's because it's true, dolt." She sighed, albeit, dramatically, throwing her head back gloved hand on forehead as if about to faint, and continued. "Anyway, I came out here to find out who on earth was ordering vegetable soup. But then I saw you in all you dismal glory… I'm assuming it was you."

"No. It was Sora."

"Sora?" She looked over to the other side of the table, realizing for the first time that someone else was at the table. "OH!" Her beautiful brown eyes widened, a light blush crossing over her cheeks and nose. She grasped his hand in both of hers, squeezing gently, "Why, hello! I'm sorry. I completely zoned in on ranting at Leon, and I didn't even realize you were there. Please forgive me." She pleaded, actually looking for consent. Sora nodded, smiling quickly to Leon, before looking back at the woman in front of him. "My name is Tifa Lockhart." She smiled. It wasn't a big smile like Kairi's; it was a lot like Aerith's, a gently pull on her lips, making her eyes brighten just enough.

He nodded, replying, "I'm Sora. Sora Tanaka."

"You're a friend of Leon's?"

Sora looked at Leon, quickly out of the corner of his eye. He almost hoped Leon would answer, tell Tifa that they were roommates, friends, boyfriends, something. Not because he was embarrassed to say anything, but because he didn't know himself. When Leon didn't say anything quick enough, Sora nodded and said. "Yeah, something a lot like that." Still looking towards his counterpart.

Tifa smiled again, and Sora had a feeling she knew what was going on. He really wished someone would give him a program so he could keep up with everything. He was tired of people knowing more than he did. But he didn't say anything and Tifa squeezed the hand Sora had almost forgot she was hold, saying, "Oh, good. Good well, you two stay here, while I go whip you up some food."

Sora watched her leave, his eyes wide in shock at the almost random woman. Leon leaned up a bit, their feet still interlocked under the table so he didn't go far, but just enough. "I told you to be prepared."

"Wow, that was…odd." Was the reply he got with Sora so freshly broken out of his stupor. He looked over to Leon, a smile on his lips. "She was really nice." He said.

Leon nodded, "Most the people around here are nice."

They ate the rest of their lunch in silence. Tifa delivered their food directly to the table and said she wished she could stay to eat but there was a fight in her kitchen and she needed to straighten things out, fire them and call some back up workers. It was an uneventful lunch after that. Their feet were locked together for the entirety of their meal. Sora ate the soup with gusto Leon had never seen before, and for once polished off his plate.

"Maybe you're a vegetarian." Leon said offhandedly, as Sora looked at his empty bowl. "It would make sense. It's the only things you eat at the apartment without complaint."

Sora had the good graces to blush as he stacked his plate on Leon's. "I've never been a vegetarian once in my life." He said, as if it mattered.

"You don't have to be born vegetarian. Some people can go most of their life without eating a vegetable, then the next day, they're suddenly Bugs Bunny."

Sora laughed.

When Leon untangled himself from Sora, he took it as time to go. He guessing skills proving awesome, as Leon stood.

"Come on. Let's go say bye to Tifa quickly." He said, holding his hand out to Sora.

"Okay." Sora said, hesitating only for a moment before slipping his hand into Leon's, and letting himself be tugged to his feet. They made their way through the café, moving towards the giant black doors that Tifa had emerged through half an hour before. Leon cracked the door open, a waft of steam flooding out as he did so. "Tifa?"

"Are you leaving?" Was her muffled reply.

"Yeah."

"One second."

There was a lot of shuffling on the other side of the door, a few curses, and threats, which, Sora realized, were made by Tifa. A few pots hit the floor, or clanged together, and suddenly Tifa was on the other side of the door, red face, out of breath, stressed, but still smiling somehow. She took a moment to catch her breath, straightening out her outfit, which had been horribly disarrayed. Finally she smiled, "Thanks for waiting."

To Sora's surprise, it was him who answered, "No problem."

He looked at Leon, surprise still evident in his eyes, but Leon just smirked, "Yeah, what he said."

Tifa smiled, her face now it's normal color. "You two are going to Aerith's dinner tonight, right?"

Leon nodded.

"Good, tell her I may be a little late, but I _will_ be there, for sure."

Leon nodded again, and then Tifa gave them both a hug, and sent them on their way.

"Now to the museum?" Sora asked once they were on the outside of the restaurant.

"Mm. No." Leon said, taking a look at his watch. "I spent too much time dragging you around aimlessly."

Sora sighed, "So what do we do?"

"Well, I drag you around aimlessly." Leon said. "For about the next hour, or so."

Sora didn't have time to reply. Leon's hand was in his again, and he was walking, telling Sora to follow silently. And that was good enough for Sora.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

They meandered away from the inner city traveling outward to neighborhoods with parks, and walking paths.

Sora didn't say much the entire time, only random comments on the beauty of something, or something's originality, things to that effect. But he was definitely happy. He knew that. He was happy and he wasn't thinking about the betrayal he was committing, or whether he was making Leon's life miserable, or being a burden. He just went along with it. He liked this feeling and he had almost forgotten what it was like.

They passed a group of kids at a playground, now wondering around a giant park on one of the would-be nature trails. They had been on this path for a while, one of the longer ones they had encountered, and it took them all throughout the park, and around several playgrounds, just like this one.

Sora smiled as one kid ran passed them, chasing after a giant red ball, that some little girl had kicked too hard. He was a fluffy hair blonde, with freckles all over his face. He looked angry at the moment, probably because he had to come fetch the ball that had rolled so far away. It reminded Sora of Roxas.

And Leon obviously caught on to this.

"How's your bother doing?" He asked, watching Sora as they walked along.

Sora thought of their last phone conversation. Roxas had told him that the teachers were proud of how he had improved over the school year. His grades had been steadily rising, his attitude, though little better, was definitely getting there, and he could write the entire alphabet without messing up any of the letters, as he had exclaimed loudly, after two years of battling with dyslexia. "He's good. He's as anxious as ever to come see me." Sora said, mood falling a little at the fact that he didn't have a job, still, and that worse, he hadn't really even looked. Which meant he was that much further from getting a house, so Roxas could come and stay with him. "He's only gotten into one fight this month." Sora said, his voice a little weak sounding to him.

"Has that been a problem?"

"For the last three years. But it got really bad at the end of last year and the beginning of this year."

Leon nodded, remembering Roxas' threat to make him pay if he hurt his brother. "How long have you been watching over him?"

"Since my parents died. Since I was sixteen."

"Wow. How old was he?"

"Who?"

"Roxas."

"Oh, he was four at the time."

"Jeez."

"It wasn't that bad. I had been living with…living with Riku for about a year before that. He had a good job, and I was had a part time job. It wasn't that bad adjusting. And with time it got easier, we learned how to manage what munny we earned. It wasn't that hard."

"You had to grow up at sixteen though."

"Fifteen, really."

Leon looked stunned.

"Still, we managed. Even did quite well for ourselves."

"Just sounds…difficult."

"It got easy after a while." Sora nodded resolutely.

Leon nodded. "Okay." He said, taking Sora's waist and leading him away from the trail. "Come on. We should start heading to my sister's house."

Sora nodded, letting Leon lead him through the throngs of people that were gathering around the city. It felt nice to have his hands on his waist. He felt safe again; like he could face the world without fearing he was going to drown in a sea of disappointment. He felt like he was home, finally, after a year of searching for it, Sora was home again.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

Dinner at Aerith's had been a somewhat quiet event. Sora was tugged in and introduced to everyone, even the pet cat, Shadow.

He met Aerith's fiancé, Cloud, a stoic man around Leon's age. Cloud had fluffy blonde hair that, just like Sora's hair, resisted gravity in every way, and he sported mako blue eyes that seemed to have no depth beneath them. He was a nice enough fellow, a little quiet, a little blunt but nothing he couldn't charge Leon with. He always meandered around the house, Sora saw, away from the crowd but always seemingly close to Aerith, at any point in time.

And then he met Namine (A/N: Does anyone know how to do the funny accent mark?). She was a sweet little girl with pale blond hair, blue eyes just like Cloud's, and a smile just like her mother's. She carried a sketchpad everywhere she went, and Sora was gifted with the chance to view a few of them. She was a really good artist.

The cat, Shadow, was a plain enough cat. Acted a little drunken, dancing around a little as it walked. Sora guessed it was on catnip, or something to that effect.

Tifa had joined them after they had sat down to dinner. She was windblown, and a little disoriented, but she made it.

They were settling down in the living room, or the adults were, Namine had decided to go finish the homework she had. The rest of them were lounging around the room, Tifa in one chair, Sora and Leon on the couch, and Cloud resting in another chair, hand resting gently on Aerith who was on the arm. They weren't talking about anything in particular, and it was mostly Tifa and Aerith who did the talking, with snide comments thrown in my Leon, and every once and a while, Cloud. Sora stayed quiet mostly, just listening to the conversation, and enjoying the warm feeling that came over him when Leon subtly locked their fingers together.

Then the doorbell rang, throwing off the entire spell that had settled over the small group of people.

"Who on earth?" Aerith asked, going slightly pale not long after she said it.

"I'll get it." Cloud said readying to stand, but Aerith pushed him back into his seat, smiling again, maybe to falsely.

"Don't worry about it." She said. "I've got it."

Aerith went to get the door, smiling until she actually pulled the door open.

"Cid! You're here!"

"Well, yeh told me to come, didn' yeh?"

"Of course, it's just a surprise! Where-oh, there's Yuffie!"

"Hi, Aerith. How have you been?"

"Fine. Please come in; take your shoes off."

Aerith came into the room and looked at Cloud, who was visibly staring at her in anger.

'I'm sorry' she mouthed to him before exiting to the kitchen presumably to get drinks.

A tall brown haired woman bounded into the room with all the energy of a five year old. She was grinning from ear to ear, and her eyes dazzled brightly. The odd silence that had settled over the room didn't seem to faze her at all. She was being followed by a man, older than she was by at least thirty years. He was more grizzly looking, short, with short blonde hair and narrowed eyes and a frowning face. He didn't look at all happy, and if the silence did faze him, he didn't give a damn enough to change it.

"What? No 'hi'?" The gruff man, whose voice Sora recognized as the man Cid, boomed over the entire room. Sora physically jumped at the thunder of the man's voice.

"Hi, Cid, Yuffie." Tifa said from her armchair, watching Cid very intently as Yuffie ran and sat directly on her lap.

"Hello." Leon said politely, but nothing more after that was given. Sora just sat from his seat next to Leon and waved at them.

Cid turned to stare menacingly at Cloud who had yet to say anything. Cloud sat nursing his drink, looking at Leon intently. Sora looked up at him to, confused and trying to figure out what was going on. Leon returned the stare and for a second didn't say anything, didn't do anything, and then suddenly with a raise of his eyebrow he inclined his head, inquiringly. Whatever the signal was, Cloud got it and was none too pleased about it. His lips set in a thin line, and then a sneer as he looked up to Cid, his blue eyes colder than ice.

"Hello, dad." He ground. "What are you doing here?"

Cid smiled, a somewhat mean and conniving smile, but a smile nonetheless. "Why, Cloud, you're beautiful girlfriend in there invited me. She said you an' her would love us to come over."

Cloud took a drink from his cup, glaring at it. "I must have been drunk when I said that."

"That's silly, Cloud," Yuffie said from Tifa's lap. "You don't drink. Hard to get dru-."

"Did I say you could talk?" Cid yelled above her voice. She glared at him for a moment, her pretty brown eyes hardening defiantly. Then suddenly she made a face at him and continued to sit comfortably in Tifa's lap.

Aerith walked into the room calmly, carrying two drinks in her hands. She handed one to Cid and then one to Yuffie, her face still flustered, and her breath irregular. She perched on Cloud's chair again looking at Cid. "Have a seat, Cid." She said just as politely as ever, though her fiancé was glaring daggers at the man's back.

"Why, thank you, darlin'." He smiled, sitting down in the only available spot. Next to Sora. The room was tense, and thick with the hate, mostly coming from Cid and Cloud. Leon pulled Sora a little closer to him, silently wrapping his arm around his waist and tugging, causing the couch to move and Cid to snap his attention over to the only person in this room he hadn't met before. "Who're you?" He asked.

Sora was shocked silent, and his tongue didn't loosen as the man proceeded to glare at him. He opened his mouth, glancing around the room for someone to help him. Cid looked like he was getting testy, and Sora was almost scared that he was going to be hit. He waited for something to come out of his hanging mouth but his voice was frozen.

"Cid, you're scaring him." They all jerked their attention to Yuffie, who was now sitting in front of Tifa, rather than on her. She didn't look at all intimidated by his glare of doom; in fact, she simply sat examining her nails as he swiveled his head towards her.

"Are you saying I'm scary, you ungrateful little…"

"Let's not get vulgar." Aerith interjected.

Cid grumbled, glaring at Yuffie, who picked her head up and smiled at him smugly. She crawled over to the couch, now sitting in front of Sora. She threw her arms over his knees and smile an unrealistically huge smile and asked the same question. "Who're you?"

Sora didn't want to seem rude, but he didn't want to seem like a mute, so he opened his mouth again and said, "I'm Sora." He nodded, and turned his head to Cid. "My name is Sora."

Cid glared, still. He switched between Yuffie and Sora, grumbling again. Yuffie looked damn near ready to yell triumphantly, she patted Sora's legs reassuringly, smirking at Cid the _entire_ time.

They sat in silence again, Cid and Yuffie were still glaring at each other but it honestly look like Yuffie was getting a great kick out of it. Aerith was rubbing Cloud's back and had wrapped her arm about his chest. The rest of them sat comfortably, or as comfortably as they could get in the high-tension room. Sora was practically sitting on Leon's lap, as far away from Cid as Leon could get him.

"I'm gonna go get another drink." Cid announced, standing from the couch with an almighty harrumph. He left the room glaring at everyone, while everyone pretended not to notice, or glared back, or waved, like Yuffie.

When Cid left, Sora noticed so did the tension. Leon loosened his muscles ever so slightly. Tifa fell back into her chair with a huge sigh. Aerith was conversing with a very murderous looking Cloud. Yuffie patted Sora's legs absently before turning to look at him and Leon.

"Sorry about that." She said. "He's not that bad." But by the look on everyone's face said otherwise.

"It's okay." Sora said. He shifted more comfortably against Leon, who, in turn, put his arms around his shoulders.

Tifa said it first, "Yuffie, do you have to pick arguments with him in public?"

"Well, it's no fun at home." Yuffie pouted now.

"It's not fun here either."

"I know. But I know how Cid is and if Sora hadn't answered, it would've spelled disaster. I'd rather him pick a fight with me than with anyone else." She looked at Aerith and Cloud and continued. "I didn't mean for him to come. He was sound asleep whenever I was getting ready. He only heard me as I opened the door, and then he just had to escort me."

Aerith smiled, "Don't worry about…"

"Well, I am sorry to cut this chit chat short, but we have to go. Got a shop to keep an' all. You boys and girls have fun sleeping in late and doing nothing." Cid growled, glaring at all of them. "Yuffie, come on."

Yuffie looked abhorred. "Cid, I'm not ready…"

"I said, come on!"

"We only just got here!" Yuffie yelled.

"Are you deaf? Do I need to say it a third time?"

"I heard you, you bitter old man." Yuffie muttered under her breathe, as she stood up, dusting off her shorts.

"What did you say?" He was red in the face, and looked ready to spit nails. Yuffie walked over casually, almost brushing past him but was jerked back by her arm.

"I said, I heard you, is all." She said noncommittally.

Cid was making his way to the door with her, pulling her behind him like a child he didn't want to discipline in front of others. Yuffie made no attempt to get away; she just let herself be drug along, as he yelled. "You did not. You got somethin' to say to my face?"

In the hallway the could hear her yell, "No, Cid. Just leave the damn house."

"You don't talk to me like that. Not here. Not there. Not anywhere…" And then the door slammed, signaling they had officially left.

The room was silent for a long time, in which thousands of questions buzzed through Sora's mind. Were they always like that? Did he hit Yuffie? Why did Yuffie stay with him? Why didn't Cloud like him? Why didn't anyone like him?

Namine's voice broke the spell, as she bounded down the stairs. "Aerith! Daddy?" Her little blond head appeared into the room. "Who was yelling?"

"It's not important, Namie." Cloud said as she jumped in his lap. "Did you get your homework done?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, go get ready for bed."

"But I'm not ready for bed." Namine said.

"Then you won't be ready for school, and I'll have to make you stay home all day and clean with me." Aerith said, sternly.

"Okay."

"Bed." Cloud said with finality.

She huffed, giving Cloud a hug, and then Aerith. She moved her way around the room, stalling as Cloud had said as she made small talk with Leon. After she gave Tifa a hug, she stood in the middle of the room, waving goodnight to everyone. And then she stood at the doorway, telling them she loved them all. And then-

"Bed!" Cloud yelled, smirking when he heard feet scrambling up the stairs.

"I'm sorry about all that." Aerith said, and they all assumed she was talking about Cid and Yuffie. "When I invited them at the supermarket, I didn't think they would come. It was just they were there and they asked, and it really did seem like the right thing to do.

"Don't worry about it, Aerith." Her fiancé reassured her. "It couldn't be helped."

Aerith shrugged helplessly, "I still feel bad. I didn't even warn you."

"Between the four of us, I think it was under control."

Aerith and Cloud both smiled, and they settled back into a relatively peaceful silence, Tifa mildly conversing with Leon over something Sora was to tired too care about. He kept trying to figure out everything that had gone on tonight.

It was an odd transaction, going from only Leon, to Leon and five other people. And they had all known each other for so long. Sora felt like the odd man out. Everyone had signals and inside jokes, Sora didn't know whether to laugh or fear his downfall. Everyone was nice to him, with the minor exclusion of Cid, but Yuffie said that he usually wasn't that bad.

Tifa yawned loudly, standing and stretching. "I'm going home. I have to get up and fire all of my employees tomorrow." She smiled groggily.

The rest stood as well.

"You threaten that every night." Aerith said.

Tifa shrugged. "One day I actually might."

They all shuffled into the hallway in between the kitchen and living room. They bid Tifa goodnight, sending her off into the night. Then Namine started to cough. And they could all here it from her room upstairs, a long, hard, rough cough. Aerith looked up the stairs longingly, the same sad light in her eyes, that Sora had seen the first day she and him had met, when they were talking about Namine's doctor's appointments.

Aerith looked up to Cloud, who shared her look, and said, "I should go give her some medicine." And then she was gone.

Cloud watched her go, until she was all the way up the stairs and out of view. He didn't say anything, but for a moment he looked like he might. When he did speak it wasn't about Namine though.

"Are you two going home as well?"

Leon nodded.

"I'm taking Namie to the zoo tomorrow, so Aerith'll probably be over to clean."

"Okay. Are you still gonna help me repair that light socket in 4b on Thursday?"

Cloud shook his head, 'yes'.

"Tell Aerith we'll see her tomorrow."

"Kay."

Leon opened the door and ushered Sora out, bidding Cloud goodnight one more time. They walk silently, Sora mildly wondering why they couldn't have brought Leon car, but tucked it away as Leon laced their fingers together. The night was fine anyway. The moon was bright; there was barely a cloud in the sky. It was cool, but not cold. It was a while's walk before they reached home and the lamp lit streets were quite inviting, and quite romantic.

He sighed contentedly, letting the night swarm through his senses, cleansing him, and organizing his thoughts. He looked up to Leon, watching for a while before getting up the guts to ask everything that had been bugging him in the house.

"Does Cid always treat Yuffie like that?" He asked in a quiet voice.

"Like she's a dog? Yes."

"Why?"

"Because…he does." Leon shrugged as if it were no big deal.

"That doesn't make sense."

Leon chuckled. "Very little about them does."

"Are they…like, together?"

"I suppose you could call them that. Most of us think that Yuffie's his concubine."

Sora was shocked. "Oh. Does he treat everyone like that?"

"Mostly just Yuffie and, unfortunately his son."

"Yeah, I noticed they didn't seem to like each other too much. Why is that?"

There was a pregnant pause in which Sora thought he had crossed the border. Leon was easy to talk to, but he didn't seem the type to inform others of information that wasn't his. Sora didn't want to ruin there conversation, and was about to retract what he had said, but…

"Aerith isn't Namine's mother."

"Huh?"

"It's all Namine's ever really known, but she's not her mother." Leon shook his head, reinforcing what he had just said.

"Is that why their mad at each other? Because Aerith isn't Namine's mom?"

He took a deep breath. "When Cloud and me were about seventeen he met a pretty little girl, and they were madly in love with each other, it was really sad. They did everything together; finished each other's sentences the whole nine yards. They were about eighteen when they found out she was pregnant with their daughter." Leon paused, pulling Sora a bit closer to him. "Unfortunately an epidemic swept over Hollow Bastion about that time, killing anything it touched. She probably could've made it if she had taken the treatment the moment she found out about it, but she wanted the baby. So she went through with it, just pushing her illness down."

Sora stared at Leon, desperately trying to piece it together himself, but giving up in the end. "I'm not following."

"Cid thinks Cloud forced her to have the baby, instead of trying to save her. He actually liked her and was beginning to view her as his own daughter when she was struck. And when she died Cid threw the entire ordeal in Cloud's face, saying he was landed with a heap of troubles, when he could've had something good, and when it got too hard he went to the first convenient source to help him take the load." Leon said, his face twisting in anger at the recount of what had happened between his friend and his father.

"Oh." Silence. "What happened to her?"

Leon sighed. "She died about three months after giving birth to Namine, and Cloud thought he was over with it all. Unfortunately it seems she passed the disease to Namine, and they don't know what to do. There's a doctor in Traverse Town, but that's a ways away."

"That's terrible."

"That's life."

"It's still terrible."

Leon stopped them in the middle of the road; they were a little under half way home. Sora was at a loss for words, after all, he hadn't expected that at all. Leon pulled the smaller man in front of him, resting his hands on his waist. Their eyes met, Sora's eyes widening as they always did when he saw the sheer intensity of Leon's stormy gray eyes. Their lips pressed together, fusing instantly in a way Sora still wasn't sure was normal. Their kisses were always short and sweet, and mostly unexpected on Sora's half, but becoming more and more frequent. They held nothing that this kiss did. And when they finally pulled away from the other, Sora's eyes were half-lidded with desire, his lips buzzing pleasantly, and his brain all fuzzy and disoriented.

"Are you my boyfriend?" He asked without thinking, but instantly ducking and blushing as he realized what he had asked.

Leon laughed, and lifted his chin up. "I hope so. If you'll have me."

A kiss on his right cheek…a kiss on his nose…a kiss on his left cheek…a hand on his side…a hand in his hair…a nose rubbing against his…a kiss on his forehead…a kiss on his lips, and a tongue that slid delightfully across his bottom lip.

&$&$&$&$&$&

A/N: HAAAAUUUG! (That was my manly roar.) Yeah, that was long. Longer than I thought it would be and I didn't even put everything I wanted in it.

So….tell me. How mad would everyone be if I just ended it here? (**Ducks quickly behind first thing I see.**) It's not the end in case everyone was wondering. But it wouldn't be a bad ending. A lot of questions would be unanswered…but he would get Leon in the end…right? No? All right. fine!

The story is NOT over. Don't fret. Lol. I just wanted to see what everyone would do if I did end it. Speaking of ending's this story's should be in about five chapters. I'm hoping I can wrap everything up by then. If I don't have no fear, I won't be like, "Well, this story has ten chapters, they can live without knowing whether or not Sora lives after he get shot on a plane ride to Minnesota." I will finish this story dammit!

Okay…Remember I turn my review into money, which turns into food, which turns into payment that I bribe the little gnomes I make write my chapters with. So…no reviews, no food, no gnomes, no chapters. Remember this, as you sit here reading and thinking: God, what she said up there about this story ending right here is just not funny.

Okay, I'm done twittering.


	6. Progression, easy or not

A/N: Okay! After much debate with myself over when I would feel like getting this poor chapter finished and posted I decided, I had to do it! And I had to do it now! So here it is.

Thank you's:

Mathias: Yay! I have NOOOO idea what ukeish is just I'm a break away so! Revolution! And thank you for showing me how to do the accent! I got it to work and I'm an extremely happy person. I hope you like this next chapter! It has progress!

Following Padfoot's Pawprints: Thank you for the encouragement.

Silver Angel Wings: It wasn't encouraging, but it made me feel good that I hadn't let you down.

Venks: Hahaha…Venksie-poo! My most famous reviewer, my reviewer since my third chapter (Which doesn't sound impressive, but it's 3 out 5 so it's great!) Hi. Don't kill me. As you can obviously tell I haven't ended it so, don't kill me. I'm glad you liked my last chapter. I thought it was crap, but as long as you liked it…I liked it too.

GhostInTheDark: NOOOOO! Never threaten me with the demented bunnies! You know how I fear them so! (Cries) Okay I'm over it… but I'm still insanely jealous that you got to go to freaking London! It's my dream city! (pouts) I hope you like this chapter as well.

4th Floor Panda: Kudos to your awwwwesommmmmme name! And thank you for such and awesome review. And I understand what you mean about the distinct lack of Leon/Sora fictions out there. I want more…so I write more! Lol, here's you're next chapter.

Toshi: I honestly couldn't tell whether or not you wanted me to update in your review. I was so confused by your message. I'm glad you liked the story so much to tell me that much that you wanted me to continue. It means a lot that you will take for freaking ever out of you time to review me. Thanks.

The Mrs. Black: I usually would agree with you on the entire disposition of Leon, but I think Leon is cool and collected, not cruel. And if he knew someone was in pain, and that if he liked them, intimately or not, he would do anything to help them, even if it meant loosing his cold mask. And as to the whole YuffiexCid thing, I watched Advent Children and their entire argument on the gummi reminded me so much of a married couple. I do like Vincent though, and I may do something with him later….hmmm? Thank you for trying to change my fic. It was really wonderful and I missed it.

So that was like eight more reviews! I'm getting happier each time I write a chapter! YAY!

I hope you enjoy this. I actually liked it!

&$&$&$&$&$&$&

Sora woke only to the sounds of the telephone ringing, a loud incessant noise ringing in his head. He jerked his head back quickly, suddenly wide awake and taking immediate notice to the fact that the phone was right next to his head. It rang again, the evil screech filling every corner of his room. He moaned and covered his ears. When it stopped he grabbed the phone quickly, before the evil thing could squeal again.

"'Lo?" He croaked, clearing his throat immediately.

"Sora?" A female voice asked on the other end of the line.

Sora shrugged on his big fluffy robe. "Yeah. Who's this?"

He went downstairs, the other line silent for a while, but he could hear the woman he had been talking to yelling, very, very loudly to someone on her end. He looked around for Leon, but his stoic boyfriend was nowhere in sight.

"Sora?"

"Yeah, still here."

"Hey sweety, this is Tifa. You remember?" He had seen her around a few more times since that first outing with Leon. She was always at the restaurant or doing something for the restaurant. Rarely was she just around just to be around. But he did remember her/

He nodded while at the same time answering "Yeah."

"Good. Is Leon around?"

He looked about the place, finally noticing the note on the television set. "Hold on." He said as he snatched the paper off the TV.

_Sora,_

_I went to town to get a few things. I'm stopping by Aerith's for a while after that. Don't expect me back too soon._

_Leon._

"No. No, he's away for the day." Sora said, devoid of any emotion, folding the paper and putting it in his pocket.

"Dammit!" Tifa hissed.

"Why? What do you need?" He asked, meandering into the kitchen to find some fruit.

"I fired too many people! I need him to come man the fort while I go through applications." She stopped, taking the phone away from her mouth so she could yell at some more people.

Sora thought in that brief second in time. He didn't want to go back to work honestly, but he needed to, for Leon, and for Roxas. When she came back onto the phone with a great sigh, he asked, "Can I help?"

There was a pregnant pause, in which Sora could practically see her chewing her bottom lip. "Are you sure? I don't want to inconvenience you." She said, worriedly.

Sora shook his head, only seconds after realizing that she couldn't hear his head rattle. "Don't worry about it." He said lightly. "When do you need me?" He asked.

"ASAP!" She yelled as they both heard a loud crash, then she hung up, and Sora had a feeling another one bit the dust.

Sora stood in the middle of the living room for a couple of minutes, just letting everything wash over him. He was going into work; he was going to work…with some money maybe. Perhaps this would be a starting point. Maybe he could get an actual job soon, with actual pay, and actual benefits… all of that.

'Sounds good.' He thought, bounding back upstairs to get dressed. He didn't want Tifa to murder anyone, because he didn't get there quick enough.

When he had finished and was downstairs again he grabbed an apple and some peanut better that Leon had bought for him a few days ago. He was almost out the door when he wheeled around quick as lightning.

_Leon,_

_I went to help Tifa out at the restaurant. I don't know when I'll be home._

_Sora._

Sora pinned it to the refrigerator, because that was the first place Leon went, so he could find what was for dinner. Then he was out, walking to the restaurant and hoping it wasn't to bad when he got there.

&$&$&$&

"SORA!"

With several being shoved out of her way, Tifa came striding angrily through the throng of people.

"I have never seen this many people here." He said. Looking around at all the snooty people.

Tifa huffed angrily. "Neither have I. I didn't know this many people even lived in Hollow Bastion. Not to mention this many snobs."

"Why are they here?" He asked shifting uncomfortably as one woman glared at him. Tifa glared right back at her however. Then she leaned forward to him.

"In a few weeks, the king himself is coming here to review my food." She said nervously wringing her hands. "He heard somehow that I was the best chef in three counties, and now wants to examine my food for his six daughter's weddings." She hissed hysterically. "I really need someone's help." She whined as she pulled him into the back and gave him a uniform.

He changed in the back and went back to Tifa's side as quickly as he could so she wouldn't burn her building down. "Okay." He said, ready to learn to get some knowledge.

She sighed. "I'm going to give you crash course." She said, shooting off threw the building. "I have an old fashion restaurant so the cash register is easy press the buttons, pull the lever and you have the receipts.

"On seating, be gentlemanly. Give the ladies their menu first, and ask for their order first as well. Make sure the men's glass is always full; they hold the money in high society (A/N: Remember this is somewhat a kingdom, and as ashamed as I am to admit it, men usually get the wavers in society, lol. You know I love ya, guys.)." She said walking and waving, generally at the dining section.

"When taking orders look all of them in the eyes. Oh, and try to memorize as many orders if you can when you're standing and write it down later. It looks tacky if you hold a notepad." Handing Sora some menus and the then she stopped by a counter. She pulled out a notepad, which he identified by the title, "Daily Specialties". "When asking for desserts, suggest the specialty of the day; it's the special for a reason.

"Other than that, ask Paine if you have questions." She said pointing to a silver haired waitress with ruby eyes. "She can be a bit of a bitch, just wave her off and keep going. You'll be working over section 2." She waved her hands over the suddenly expansive section. It didn't seem this big when Leon and him were here. He suddenly didn't think he could do this. "Don't fret. You'll make it."

Tifa then left him, standing in the middle of the restaurant lost and totally confused. He looked around him, at the several snooty people who were glaring at him, and then at the very full section 2. Paine walked by.

"Where do I start?" He asked her.

She glared for a moment, looked around, and said, "Pick a table!" in a very tart voice.

'Yeah, she's a bitch.'

He walked over to the first booth, fidgeting just a little.

"Hello sir, ma'am." He tipped his head towards the both of them. "How is you morning, today?"

&$&$&$&

It took Sora forever to learn how to do his job. Tifa couldn't help him; she was in the back yelling, cooking, and throwing things at anyone who got in her way. Paine was…a pain. She didn't do anything. She said, 'Figure it out.' And then walked off.

The customers looked down their nose at him. They ordered the most complicated things to memorize. 'Was everything this complicated when Leon and I were here?' He recognized the orders but…yikes! He was told to, 'Straiten up.' 'Look me in the eye.' 'Smile.' 'Don't look patronizing' 'Speak clearer.' 'Speak up.' 'Pick up your feet when your walk.' 'Don't _spill_ anything on us!', do anything under the sun.

He broke four dishes, spilled an entire pot of soup, managing to get out of the way before he got it all over him, and ripped a ladies dress on her way out. The register for all its simplicity was the most complicated thing to work and he kept messing up and there was no 'back' button, he kept having Paine work with it. He couldn't memorize all of his orders properly and had the chef's change one order a million times before he got it right. And everyone was so damn rude, today.

And, god he felt drained!

Tifa asked him to stay after for a while after they shut down the restaurant, and Sora had a feeling he was going to be asked to pay for all the damage he caused right out of his pocket.

He held his breath in his lungs for long periods of time, scratching his arms nervously. He rocked back and forth nervously, his heart thumping wildly. He didn't understand why he was so upset about this.

He supposed it could be because he had come to regard Tifa as his friend and he didn't want to let her down. Or perhaps it was because this was a clear sign that he wasn't ready for work, and that once again he would be hurting his brother.

Or maybe, maybe he was just tired. He hadn't had to work this hard since ever. Anything he ever did was leisurely, done at his own pace. Riku had always made sure he never felt pressured to work; he wanted Sora to get a degree. Now it wasn't for fun. It was for real, for a reason. And it made him uncomfortable.

He missed Riku in these moments.

He put his head in his hands; trying to get rid of the invisible shakes he was experiencing.

"Sora? Hun, you okay?"

Sora looked up into Tifa's worried eyes. He smiled a little, "I'm fine." He lied. "Just tired."

She sat down at the table he was at, and smiled at him. "You did good." She said with a smile. "In fact, you did fabulously under the extreme pressure I put you in. A few mishaps here and there, but that's to be expected on your first day." She smiled again. Sora just sat there and waited, bracing himself for the worst. "I hired several people today, and hopefully they won't be a bust," Get ready for it! "But…" Get ready for the checkbook! "I want you stay. I want to hire you, as well."

And blank!

"Wh-What?" He asked, completely dumbfounded.

"I want to hire you. I talked to Leon earlier and he said you had been looking for a job, and you did such a good job tonight. I want to hire you."

Sora shook his head, trying to come back down to earth. "Are you sure?"

Tifa laughed, heartily. "Yes, Sora, I'm sure. Come in tomorrow and I'll get you everything you need. Be here at 7 o'clock in the morning. Can you handle that?" She asked.

He smiled. "Yeah. I can."

She nodded. "Good. Now, go home and rest."

Sora was about to stand and leave when Yuffie ran into the door…literally. She went ninety miles per hour, straight into the door, and then straight to the ground. One of the clean up crew took pity on the poor thing and opened door for her, watching as she crawled, still on her hands and knees into the store and over to Tifa and Sora's table.

"Hi, there." She said crawling into her seat. "How're ya?"

"Fine," They both muttered, eying her over strangely. "How are you?" Tifa asked.

There was a pause in which Yuffie grinned manically. "I escaped." She giggled.

Sora and Tifa didn't find it as funny. "Escaped?" Tifa asked, watching her younger counterpart worriedly.

"Yeah. Cid fell asleep and I snuck out."

"And you came here." Tifa asked.

"You know I worship you and the ground you walk on. Of course I came here! I had to tell you my news!" Yuffie said excitedly. Shaking Tifa's hand in her own. "I'm going to Atlantica!" She yelled.

"What? With Cid?" Tifa asked, surprise etching on her face.

Yuffie's smile fell. "Why does everyone ask me that?" She grimaced. "No. Not with Cid, with a few girlfriends of mine. We're going for a week in a half as soon as we can get the tickets."

They were silent for a few moments, in which time Yuffie stared down her hands, and Tifa looked at her worriedly, but then Tifa smiled and said, "That's great!"

The two continued to talk for a while, but Sora didn't stay for all of it. He decided it was time for him to go home.

&$&$&$&

Leon opened the door whenever he finished walking home from the restaurant, and the only thing Sora could think to do was fall into his arms. Or throw himself at Leon, more like it. And Leon tensed for a moment before catching Sora easily in his arms and dragging him inside and shutting the door.

"How was your day?" He purred into Sora's ear.

Sora moaned, tiredly. "Confusing, exhausting. Physically, emotionally…spiritually."

Leon snorted, hoisting Sora to his feet and leading him into the kitchen where he spooned some fried vegetables onto his plate. "Tell me about it." He ordered.

Sora sighed. Recalling everything that had happened to him that day, from the customers to the dishes. He told Leon about Paine, and the ladies dress, and about the cash register from hell. And Leon sat with him until he finished his meal, then they moved to the sink, and began washing dishes, as was becoming their custom at night.

"Yuffie's going to Atlantica." Sora said, finally getting to the end of his day, he had left out anything to do with Riku, not thinking it wouldn't go over well with Leon. "She said so after her confrontation with the door."

Leon nodded, picking up the washcloth from the scalding water, but he didn't flinch. "She's been saying that for a while." Leon said. "Usually it's after her and Cid have a huge fight, which I imagine they did. Yuffie's been a bit too free lately, and Cid hates that."

Sora nodded taking the plate from his boyfriend's hot hands. "I want her to go through with it." He said without really thinking. "I think it would do her good if she got away for a while."

Leon nodded. "It would do her good to get away from Cid."

"I know!" Sora exclaimed. "And she's completely oblivious to it!"

Leon nodded. "Upsetting isn't it?"

"Yeah."

They changed the topic quickly, silently agreeing that it would do no good to stew over something they had no control over.

"Roxas called today." Leon said.

Sora cussed mentally, upset that he had missed his brother's call. "How was he?"

Leon nodded his head around. "He's fine, he says. He just wanted someone to talk to. Said that he didn't want to go around your friends."

"Why?"

"They were mad at each other."

Sora went through all the possible reasons that they might be mad at each other, but he could only really think of one reason they would fight, and he didn't think Kairi would be so rash as to ruin her life like that. He quickly dismissed it and put it in the back of his mind. "Did he say anything else?" He asked.

"He asked where you were, how you were doing. The usual stuff, you know. He interrogated me a little. And then he decided I wasn't as much fun to talk to and we got off the phone."

Sora chuckled. "Don't take it personally." He said. "He's like that with everyone but me." **I wonder why! **Sneered a nasty voice in the back of his mind, and he suddenly felt guilty again, knowing the pain he had put his little brother through. He became quiet, suddenly, playing with his ring whenever Leon was washing a dish.

Leon sensed his discomfort and quieted as well, throwing a hand full of silverware into the sink.

"Where'd you get that ring anyway?" He said after watching the smaller brunette fidget with the small gold band on his right ring finger for three spoons.

"Riku gave it to me." Sora said feeling himself being pulled into his own mind.

Fork. Wipe. Rack.

"For what?"

Spoon. Wipe. Rack.

"Our second anniversary. We didn't think we would make it that long. It was a toast to proving ourselves wrong." Sora smirked, his eyes clouding over as he remembered what Riku said that night.

Butter knife. Wipe. Rack.

"We may not make it to the end of forever." He said, silver hair falling into his eyes. "We may not be a great love story." He reached up to stroke Sora's cheek, lovingly. " We may never be like Romeo and Juliet, but we made it here. And I wouldn't trade what I have with you now for any fantasy in the world."

Serrated knife. Wipe…wipe…

Sora didn't put the knife down. He only kept wiping it, to dry it, to wear a hole in it.

"Sora? You won't be too upset if I never wake up right?" Riku asked, after lying in the park for hours.

"_No."_

He had dropped the rag and now the he just stood with the hands poised in the air, knife falling closer and closer to his wrist. He didn't notice. He was lost.

"Sora, I can't do it. Just go without me, please. I can't do this tonight."

"_Please, Riku. I don't want to go by myself."_

_Riku rested his head on the back of the seat. "You owe me, big time."_

Leon watched in horrid fascination, but didn't interrupt. He wouldn't intervene unless it was absolutely necessary.

"_Riku?" Sora turned over in the bed. "Riku, are you okay?" he felt the skin on Riku's forehead, cold as ice. "Riku? Riku!" He turned Riku's body towards him fully, pressing his hand to his chest. "Riku!"_

_There wasn't a heartbeat._

The blade was almost to his wrist.

"If ever I did die before you, don't follow me. I love you, but you'll be fine without me. Don't follow me." He said. "I won't be the end of your world. You'll find someone who makes you just as happy." He smirked. "Maybe one day, if they try really hard, they'll make you even happier."

He dropped the blade from his shaking fingers, listening to it clatter in the sink. His breath was ragged and uneven. He had forgotten that conversation eons ago. It had been back before they had even gotten together. Back when they were just friends, and only just realizing homosexuality.

He felt a warm hand message his neck, guiding him towards a warm chest and a tight embrace. "You did good. You'll be okay."

"I thought I was getting better."

"You are."

"I thought I was okay." Sora whimpered.

"Just give it time." He said. "You'll be okay…"

you'll be okay.

&$&$&$&

Leon had gone to bed before him for once, leaving Sora alone, which he found comforting that he trusted him, and odd that he trusted him. But now he was tired, and nowhere near getting his mind straightened out. He was still ungodly confused, with no way to fix it. So, he decided on going to bed. Hoping that in the morning he would be able to think clearer and find an answer.

He was almost to his room when he noticed Leon's bedroom door was still open. Leon never left his door open. He paused at his door, looking into the pitch-black room that looked so inviting.

'What if he gets mad?' asked a voice in his head.

He looked into his cold bedroom, weighing warm arms against a cold bed.

'What if he doesn't?'

Sora closed the door to his bedroom and walked slowly to Leon's dark room, stumbling and feeling around dumbly as he entered, and finally, falling into a bed. He groped, smoothly until he found a chest, shoulder, arms. He crawled in under the covers, scooting as close to Leon as he could, and stealing all the body heat he could.

And he fell asleep instantly, fully noticing that Leon was still awake and had wrapped his arms around the small form pressed against him.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

A/N: I'm happy with this. I jam pack with all sorts of action. However, staying true and contradicting myself, I also think others might think this moves super fast, and it did and that he shifted moods a lot, which he did.

I wanted to show how easily it someone could be okay and then not be okay at all. I wanted to show how confusing it can all be and how jumbled thoughts can be. I wanted to show how uncomfortable depression can be concerning work and relationships and emotions and… well everything.

Anyway, I figured out exactly how many chapters there will be and hopefully I will have them up before Christmas. There will be eleven chapters plus an epilogue. So…no you know, and Venks hopefully won't kill me.

Review! Review! I know that the gnomes are getting fat!

Oh, hey! I'm posting a multi-drabble Leon/Sora called _Leon doesn't. _CHECK. IT. OUT.

Loves to all ya'll

_InnocentGuilt_


	7. Insanity

A/N: It was bothering me that I didn't put a scene in where Leon and Sora were alone so I fixed it. It's still pretty random but I like it two times better now.

Reviewers! (Called in an unbelievably high-pitched voice):

Following Padfoot's Pawprints: I am so sorry for about two or three chapters I think I wrote your name wrong. But I thank you that you liked my story enough to push through and keep going with it. I love ya!

Ichi-desu: I'm glad that you randomly clicked on my story. I sure do enjoy reviewers and I'm glad that you decided to come read my story.

Silver Angel Wings: I'm glad you read my stories! I can't describe to you how much it _pleases_ me to realize I have regulars. I mean it sounds plain but it makes me inexplicably happy.

GhostInTheDark: You little brat! I wanna hide out in London for hours on end! I ban you from talking about London! I'm getting seriously depressed! AHHHH! I'm gonna cry! **Pouts**. And uh…you can go ahead and send those bunnies here; I love chocolate!

Anonymous: Woah! I can write powerfully. This is so awesome.

Mina Hikari: Thanks for your encouragement!

Venksie-POOOOO: Haha! I thought you had given up on me for a few days I was like, crap! I made my reviewer mad, good going! But you reviewed and you shocked me! I thought the last chapter was deep, but I didn't think it was possible for me to like…transfer emotions that I was feeling to someone else. You have made my writing feel so…valuable! Thank you!

Anyway…here I go!

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

It had been a month since Tifa had brought on Sora into her diner, and in that time she had worked him like a dog as it had gained more popularity. But finally, she had gone two weeks without firing _anyone_ and Sora had been given the day off. And as soon a Leon found this out, he mysteriously wasn't working that day either.

They thought they would stay in for the day, have a kind of 'together' day, but then Aerith had called with urgent news, and demanding that they come over straight away. So they had left immediately.

"What do you thinks wrong?" Sora asked, staring at his feet as they walked in the warming sunlight. It was May and the spring had turned out all the colours of the rainbow.

"Hopefully nothing." He said, quietly as they walked.

They knocked on the door together, stepping in as they were hollered at to enter. They walked through the hallway and into the living room.

Sora had been to their house several times after the first time Leon had dragged him, but usually Naminé was at school, or out with one of her parents, and he still remembered the little girl with pink cheeks and bright eyes, carrying a notepad anywhere she went. The girl who was on the couch when Sora turned out of the hallway was not that child. She had no color in her frail little body and she had black spots littering her skin, her eyes were dull, and she was huddled in three million blankets and still shivering.

She sat on the couch with Aerith next to her. Cloud was nowhere to be seen. Tifa surprisingly there as well, was sitting on her usual chair, staring at the child with pity in her eyes. And once again Cid and Yuffie were there. They didn't usually make an appearance…at least not together, so Sora was beginning to think this wasn't going to be a happy announcement.

"Sora, Leon, you're here. Good." Aerith said quietly, stroking her child's hair. "Sit." She said. "We have to begin soon."

They did what they were told to do without hesitation, Leon sitting in the seat vacant and Sora sitting in front of him. Aerith continued to stroke Naminé's hair, looking at her very tearfully.

"We went to Traverse Town today." Aerith started, her voice shaking, and her eyes watering. We got an appointment with a specialist a few weeks ago, said he could take us with the predicament we had. And today we went."

She paused when her daughter looked into her eyes. "It progressed to the second stage." She whimpered. Yuffie went to her side and Naminé grabbed her hand, trying to comfort her, but it only made Aerith cry more. "He said it will be about two more months until he can fit her in for an operation, if she decides for it."

"What'd'ya mean, 'If she decides for it'?" Cid asked, coldly.

Everyone looked at him in shock.

"I don't want the operation." Naminé wheezed, only to be chastised by her mother.

Cid's face clouded over with anger. "Well, that's to bad, princess. You're getten' that operation. You need it."

"No, she's not Cid." Aerith said. Her eyes were downcast, as if she was defeated, and she held Naminé closer to her. "She doesn't want it."

Cid's face contorted in anger, his blue ice hardening like ice. His hand gripped the plastic cup he was holding harshly. Sora thought that he might pop a vein in his head if he kept this up. He scoffed. "And you're going to let her have her way? That's shit!" He yelled standing up and throwing his cup down, causing everyone in the room to jump.

"I know how you feel, Cid." Aerith tried. And it really did look like she knew how horrible this was, but that there was nothing else she could do. Sora wanted to stand up for her, but something told him he should interrupt, this wasn't his fight, and that, really, it wasn't her fight either.

But Cid didn't care whose fight it was or wasn't; he just kept going. "No you don't! If you did you wouldn't let an eight year old have her way. You're in charge of her, make her have the damned operation."

"Cid!" Yuffie yelled.

"Don't!" He yelled right back at her, and then he rounded on Aerith again. "You're raising that child and you're not going to try to help her? What kind of 'parent' are you?" he asked, sneering disgustedly as he put air quotation about the parents in his question.

"Cid, don't! It's not your call!" Yuffie said standing directly in front of Aerith and Naminé, who by now was crying, and clinging to her mother.

"Don't you talk to me like that, you little bitch!" He said starting to stomp towards her. "I had to watch it once. And I'm sick of the dumb shit out there leaving everything in everyone else's hands! Especially dumb women, who don't know two shits about anything they're doing." He sneered.

Before Sora was really aware of what was happening Leon had stood and started yelling as well. "Hey! Don't call her that!" Sora rested his hand on Leon's leg, looking around the room at everyone's red face, and hands clenching their seats. Then he noticed Cloud standing quietly at the doorway. His face was as passive as a moogle, which deceived his eyes, because they were quite murderous.

But Sora didn't have time to assess Cloud any further; he was distracted by Cid's yells again. "I'll call her what I want to. She won't take care of the child she has, I'll do whatever I please."

"Cid, back off!" Yuffie yelled, pushing his chest when he got to close to Aerith and Naminé.

Cid smacked her, hard, across her cheek. And it felt like slow motion as her head jerked to the side and she stumble with the impact of it. When it was done everyone was on their feet yelling something (No one really remembered what afterwards) and they watched in horror as Cid went to smack her again. He was stopped short, however, by Cloud, who glared ominously at him.

"Don't hit her in my house. Don't hit her in front of my fiancé, and especially not in front of my daughter." He hissed, throwing Cid's arm away from him harshly.

"You're being dumb all over again!" Cid yelled, twisting his arm tenderly.

"It's not your choice." Cloud countered.

Cid shook his head, disgustedly. "You're not my son." He spat. "My son would take charge. Have some balls, you coward." Cid left after that; he walked out of the room and almost out of the house when Yuffie angrily followed him, but they could still see her from the doorway.

"Cid, she's you're granddaughter. Why don't you try acting that way? Stay with her for a while without yelling at her parents." Yuffie asked, pleadingly.

"I don't want to hear a thing from you! You don't know shit about family."

"If I don't, it's because I've been with you for too long!" She hissed.

"We're going. We have something to settle, right now."

"I'm not going anywhere!" Yuffie said.

"No, she's not!" Tifa agreed, as did Cloud, and Leon, and, to his own surprise, Sora.

"Fine, you're sleeping on the porch tonight then." He growled, "I'll unlock the door for your sorry ass tomorrow." And then he left.

Yuffie rubbed her face, tenderly pressing where Cid hit her, and walking back into the living room emotionlessly. Tifa wasted no time in pulling her hand away and inspecting the damage for herself. "I'm so sorry." She said. "I thought he would be better if it was for his granddaughter. I was wrong."

Aerith nodded understandingly, picking up Naminé and trying to calm her. "Thanks, though." She said.

"For what?" She huffed.

"For trying to stop him this time. You knew what you were getting yourself into. I'm thankful that you tried to stand up for her." She nodded towards the child in her arms and began to move out of the room.

"It was good of you." Cloud agreed.

Yuffie looked uncomfortable; she kept playing with her short and switching from one foot to another. "What else would I have done?" She asked.

"Thanks."

She nodded, gently unfolding from Tifa's grasp and running off to the kitchen. Sora didn't waste much time before going after her, nodding sheepishly towards the kitchen when everyone stared at him. He walked in, not having the slightest clue on what to say, but knowing that he wanted answers.

"Hey." He said when he saw her on the counter.

"Hi, Sora. How're you?"

"Curious." He said simply, feeling his nervousness wash away, as she smiled her knowing smile.

"Uh, oh. About what?"

"Why are you with him?" He blurted.

"It does seem crazy doesn't it?" She asked, looking at the floor.

"I don't get why you stay with him! He's not good for you. He treats you like a dog. You obviously don't like each other!"

"Stop." She laughed without humor. "Just stop." She took a deep breath, and sighed dejectedly. "There are things about some people that you have to understand. You have to understand my past and you have to understand his mind."

She looked at him imploringly, seeking his eyes for the understanding she was speaking of. And when she didn't find it she continued. "I'm with him because Easter is a pagan holiday, just like Christmas. Because I believe there's a little man who turns off the light in the fridge. Because I think that there is a sound of one hand clapping. I'm with him because the sun misses the moon, every day. Because there is not good and evil, just shades of gray." She stopped smiling. "I'm with him because the light at the end of the tunnel is just a train. Because the shooting star I'm wishing on is just a gummi ship that's heading for a crash landing. Because there is no happy ending, and that's because nothing ends (1). It's just how we work."

Sora knew that she could see the discontentment on his face, but he didn't try to mask it. It was odd to him, how she could be fine with someone so abusive, someone she knew was abusive and speak like it was nothing.

"It's okay that you don't understand why I'm with him. I do, that's all that matters."

Sora walked closer to her, smiling as she made room on the counter. He hopped up next to her and smiled. "We're all just worried about you. You're a very strong and vibrant person, and you just let him do…whatever it is that he does. And we're scared you don't understand how much better you are than him."

"I'm thrilled that you all care so much." She said. "But, I can take care of myself. I promise."

They were silent for a few seconds afterwards, in which time Sora got the feeling that not only did he not believe her, but that she didn't believe herself either.

"Anyway, I've decided that I'm definitely going to that trip to Atlantica."

"You're friends and you finally set a date?"

She laughed. "Friends. That's funny." She licked her lips nervously. "I don't have any friends outside this house. The story I told you and Tifa that night…it was just a big lie. I was planning on going to Atlantica, but the friends bit…that was just to keep Tifa happy."

They made eye contact, and Yuffie smiled at him. "Tifa, doesn't like me being alone so I make up a white lie here and there. Keeps her happy, which keeps me happy."

Sora nodded. "So, you're going on your own?"

"Oh don't act shocked!" She huffed. "I'm twenty-three for Christ's sake, I can take care of myself."

"We're just concerned." He tried.

"Everyone's always concerned. It's why I'm not."

They both visibly jumped whenever Aerith came into the kitchen, still sniffling, but smiling again. "Is everything okay in here?"

Sora nodded, while Yuffie put up her customary grin. "We're great! Just having a heart to heart." She said enthusiastically as she jumped from the counter. She waited for Sora to hop down as well and then she went to Aerith. "What does not kill us proves that we are creatures of habit." She said and then she was gone, fluttering like a butterfly off into the living room again.

Sora chortled. "You can't beat a spirit like that."

Aerith did not join in his smiling. "But he tries, doesn't he?"

He preferred not to answer her question. The entire conversation that he had just had with her had opened his eyes, if only just a little, to her life. He was nowhere near her best friend, but he felt somehow, like he knew something she had never tried to tell anyone else. So he changed the subject.

"How're you doing in this?"

She still didn't smile; she just looked around her kitchen, in her hallway, in her dining room, all of which, until now, Sora hadn't noticed was simply littered with Naminé. Pictures, clothes, books, and school supplies, all of it had Naminé's name written neatly on it. She looked down at her feet, frowning deeply, she whispered. "I'd be better if it was me in her position."

"She's you're daughter. Of course you would feel better." He said.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

"Hey? You okay?" Sora asked Leon as they cooked dinner. Their walk home had been silent, and he hadn't said a word since they had been home. He was angry, Sora had enough sense to realize that, and he even knew what it was about, but it didn't stop him from asking.

"Just upset." He said easily.

"Today has been very stressful." He agreed. "Naminé and Aerith, and Cid just went gung-ho." He said grasping at memories as they came.

"Don't talk about that." Leon demanded.

Sora nodded understandingly. "It was pretty bad of him to just blow up at Aerith. I agree…Leon?" He noticed that Leon was shaking his head angrily, stirring the noodles.

"I'm not mad about that. I'm mad because he's right." He glared at the stove. "He's right and I'm pissed as hell because I agree with him. It shouldn't seem that bad that Cid's right, but he's so cruel and heartless and everything he said was just enraging! But he was right, and I agreed with everything he said and…" He didn't say anything after that, but it was quite apparent that he wanted to. Sora didn't know what to say so he just did what he used to do with Riku, and he walked up behind Leon and slipped his arms around his waist and hugged him from behind.

"Do you really think that they're going to let her not go through with this?" Sora asked, really thinking about it now, because all of a sudden it wasn't just Aerith or Cloud who was being stupid. It was a little girl who had been diagnosed with a disease Sora didn't even really know the name of. It was Leon's niece, whom Leon cared for very much. It was the beginnings of an unraveling of family. And it was one of the scariest things Sora was witnessing.

"They better not."

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

Work the next day just didn't feel right for him.

He kept worrying about Naminé and Yuffie, who had ended up staying with Tifa for the night. Tifa wasn't okay either, there had been several moments where Sora had had to step in between her and one of the waiters, customers, or random chair that was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The entire restaurant seemed to be under the giant cloud of pressure, which no one could escape. Everyone kept snapping at someone. Paine had quite just out of nowhere (which oddly enough, made Sora very sad as he had grown used to her 'get it done NOW you idiot' attitude.') Three customers had just left in the middle of their meal and told them that they would not pay for 'some poor excuse for gruel'. And at the end of the day someone had shorted the register fifty dollars.

By the end of the day, Sora had volunteered to help Tifa close, so she wouldn't burn the building down.

"Thank you for helping me close the restaurant down. I wouldn't have made it without your help."

Sora set down the disinfectant and towelette. "I noticed you seemed a bit edgy today. What was wrong?"

She sighed, flopping down into the bench. "You remember I told you my first day here that the king was going to come assess the restaurant a few weeks back?" Sora nodded. "Well he didn't come because his court magician wanted to come first."

Sora's heart did a jump as he thought of all the terrible things that could have happened in that meeting. "Did it not go well?"

She laughed, maniacally and relieved. "Oh! God no! It went perfectly. But he wants something more elegant to match my food. Sora, he wants to tear down my entire restaurant and redo it, name, design, everything."

"What's wrong with that? Does he expect you to do it by the time the king gets here?"

"No. He's going to pay for every last detail." Tifa said miserably.

Sora was confused now. "But that's great! Do you know how many people would die for a chance like that?"

Tifa sighed. "I would die to give it away." She looked at Sora. "You don't understand. This is my baby. I bought it from a man who's three nephew's had died the year before. This has been my life for the past six years, and now it's going to be ripped down, redone, and it's just too big!" She said, touching her tables as if they actually were her children. "I would've liked to present this like I took it, like I made it."

Sora nodded. "I can understand that."

"But I do want to do well on this, and change is good. This will be for the better, I know it will." She said with finality.

"Then what's the problem?" Sora asked.

Tifa smiled and shrugged. "I just- I…I…don't _know_!" And then she laughed again. "It makes no sense to me, either! Oh, my god!" And before Sora knew what he was doing he had joined her in her laughing as well.

Suddenly, the world didn't seem so bad, because he was there with his friend just standing in the middle of an empty building laughing, because nothing made sense. He felt this is how life was supposed to be. He wished it would never end, too.

"This is brilliant! I've lost my mind!" She yelled giddily in the empty building.

_We've lost our minds!_

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

A/N: (1) I will give ten cookies to the reviewer who can name me the movie/book that that line is from.

This was going to be a lot longer, but I got to that supposed-to-be scene change and I just loved it so much I was like, I want a beautiful ending to one chapter, if it's only one time I don't care. I just want it!

There was very little Sora/Leon interaction, which upset me because my original plan had bunches of Leon/Sora interaction, but all in all I'm happy with it. It got in with how Sora slowly starts coming back to himself I think. Any way I HOPE you like it! I love you all.

InnocentGuilt


	8. Make it work

A/N: Holy hell! This took so long to write! But I have a reason. I combined like…two and a half chapters to make this one and I wanted everything to work a little bit. I don't think it's the way I wanted it, especially group interactions, but I did my best! I'm sorry!

And now for my beautiful reviewers!

Ichi-desu: Thank you. That's conversation is what gave me the inspiration for this entire story…isn't that sad? Lol

Steven Kodaly: I'm sorry about the randomness…it wasn't supposed to be. Sorry, no Donald punching. I would have laughed though…at myself, and my writing…whatever. Works for me.

Mina Hikari: Yes, Mickey is the King.

SAW: Yay! You liked it! That makes me inexplicably happy!

Venksie-POO!: I'm sorry it made you sad. I think this one is happier. I think. I don't know. I shouldn't try to decipher my own chapters. Tis bad. And I think I made like…decent amounts (I'm not even going to say I put a lot in) of SoraLeon time in this chapter. I hope this makes you happy.

GhostInTheDark: Haha! Food! I love it! It's freaking hilarial. Makes me happy too. And if this isn't long enough for you…I don't know what is. This is sooooooooo long for me. AHHH!

Poetic Folly: I'm so happy you love my story. I'm a little surprised that you would imagine my little angsty Sora punching anyone in this fic…but okay. It makes me giggle a little. No, unfortunately there will be no Keyblade wielding in this fic and if there is it won't be like super cool, unnatural, ninja tricks. Sorry. Lol. I hope you like this chapter as well.

Dark Hopeless Romantic: Sweet bribing the friends to read stories… that's yummy. Lol. I didn't mean to cut them out…it just kind of happened. But you have a talent for like guessing my chapters because they make a startling entrance in this one. **wink wink**

Elle the ebil Bunny: They weren't Donald's nephews. I was actually going for Scrooge, but hey, great guess for the Authoress not being able to type worth a damn. Lol.

Padfoot: I try not to drone, but when you want to get all the emotions you need down, you have to drone…of else I can't understand what I'm writing… I really comes down to me being selfish…I should be flogged.

And for the winner of the question I put in last chapter….Drum roll:

The movie/book is The Last Unicorn and the winning contestant is ELLE THE EBIL BUNNY! Yay! Cookies for you!

And now, one with the story!

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

It had been almost a month since Tifa had come to the decision to redo her diner, and Naminé had told everyone that she was going to let her disease kill her. And already, they were all back in Cloud's living room, everyone sitting tensely, back straight, hands folded in laps. There was supposed to be good news this time, but the only thing Sora could think of was that they had decided to put Naminé down, like some sort of dog, to put her out of her misery.

He didn't say that of course. Leon was still terribly sensitive about the subject of his niece's disease, and he could understand that. He would be worse if that's how his brother was. But then again, he and Riku would have made Roxas get the operation.

Sora shook his head.

He and _Leon_ would _make_ Roxas get the operation.

He looked around the room, almost not taking in his thoughts.

Leon sat in the chair to the left of the couch, and Sora sat in front of him. It was the same chair that they always sat in. Sora noticed, for the first time, that everyone was in there normal spot. Tifa sat in the chair to the right of the couch, Yuffie would be sitting in front of her, but she had gone off to Atlantica the day before. Cid wasn't there, thankfully, he wasn't sure that the old man would walk away unscathed if he were here. Aerith sat on the couch, an open space where Naminé would sit if she were awake, and the living room doorway, where Cloud took to leaning against.

Everyone was here and accounted for.

And as if he could read Sora's mind, Cloud spoke up. "Naminé's getting the operation." He said with his head down and mouth set in a thin line, like he was ashamed of himself for saying this only now. "She changed her mind yesterday night. We've called the specialist, he can fit her in for a touring and operation plans in two weeks. And it'll probably be a month after that, but he can get her in for an operation too." Cloud smiled, the first smile Sora had seen on the man. "She's going to be okay." He looked up to Aerith, whose green eyes were alive with light. She smiled back at him, her small smile just as big as it could be, and she was practically jittering with excitement.

Everyone else in the room was smiling too, or as close to smiling as they got in public.

But no one got up and cheered. It wasn't as exciting, it seemed, as it had been when they were just going to let her die. Tifa had moved closer and was giving her congratulations and good lucks. Leon and Sora hadn't moved but had just smiled, though it seemed to Sora, who had turned around briefly, that Leon meant to have a little conference with Cloud. But no one was so inexplicably happy that that got up and shouted for a little girl upstairs who would be saved.

Later, Tifa went home, preparing the final plans for the diner, and Cloud and Leon had disappeared to the back porch, leaving Aerith and Sora in the kitchen to prepare lunch. Aerith kept twittering happily, and Sora could understand why, and he really did want to listen to her, but her was still very interested in what Leon and Cloud were doing. He couldn't see much, only what the little window over the sink would allow, and he couldn't hear anything, but he could tell a lot by their body language.

Leon stared accusingly at Cloud, and Cloud never met his gaze. The blond instead preferred to look out over his back yard, not mowed, and with lawn chairs up turned. Leon stood tall with his arms crossed at his chest, his jaw set firmly. He watched the movements of the other intently, and when needed, tilted his head to the side in a gesture he was listening. Cloud, on the other hand, wouldn't stay still. He moved from one end of the porch to the other, resting only for a moment to look out at the un-kept lawn (which had not changed since the last time he had been at whatever particular part of the porch). A few times he looked at the door, like he was trying to figure out how best to escape, or how best not to let the people inside know what was going on.

"They do that a lot." Aerith said. Peeking out the window with him, and glanced at her the same time she looked at him, and she smiled. They think I'm oblivious to their conversations, but I know. I may never say anything, but I know that they don't go out there because Leon smokes, or Cloud needs fresh air, or whatever they say."

Sora snorted. "The way you say it…makes it look like a giant conspiracy."

"Who's to say it isn't?" Aerith teased. She looked out the window, smiling at her fiancé's discomfort. She went back to cooking, chopping carrots, dicing potatoes, and cooking some beef tips. Sora went back to looking at his boyfriend and Cloud, and Aerith started talking to him again. "You never did show Leon your poetry did you?"

He shook his head 'no'. "I don't think he'd like it. It's too dreary and angsty." He said without much thought going on in his mind, something he was increasingly happy for.

Aerith hummed and added broth to her beef, stirring it around while sprinkling some oregano over the pan. "I think you underestimate my brother's eye for beauty." She said. "You really should show him." She suggested.

He nodded. "Maybe one day." His hand tapped the counter unconsciously, his gold band tapping the counter. He could read them rather well, but still the curiosity was killing him. "I'm gonna tell them lunch is almost ready." And he was gone before she could say anything. Sora opened the door to tell them both that Lunch was almost finished and that they should come inside and get washed up, but didn't say anything. The door was quiet so, they didn't hear anything and Sora could listen to at least a bit of the conversation. He stay inside this carpeted house, knowing his shoes would make noise, and he leaned out keeping his ears tuned for their voices.

"How did you talk her into it?" Leon asked, facing away from the door, as Cloud was.

There was a long pause where no one breathed, or moved, or even blinked. Cloud leaned against the railing, arms out and bracing himself up. "I told her it'd hurt." He told Leon. "I told her there was no pain comparing to what her mother went through. I told her that her bones would get feeble, and she wouldn't be able to do anything. I told her that when she was in the final stages of her disease, when the pain she was going through was too much, no one would be able to help her because anything anyone did would just cause her more pain, and she would eventually just pass out from all the pain…That was enough." He sighed.

Leon stared at him for a moment, or Sora was pretty sure he did. "So you lied." Leon told him.

"I would've told her that a meteor shower would rain down on her if I thought it would get her into that operating room faster."

'Riku would have too.' He thought.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

_Dear Diary,_

_Hello again. I'm not writing to report anything such as a step back. But I am expressing a worry that I may never fully be able to move on from Riku. I suppose that could be a set back, but it's not to do with anything terribly huge. But I'm scared that he might be stuck in my mind forever. And it doesn't bug me as much as the fact that it could get in the way of Leon's and my relationship. I don't want him to be a problem, but I think he might be and I don't know what to do. I would ask Leon, but what do you say about that? "Oh, hello! Yes, I think about Riku more than I think about you?" I think not. That would be just terrible. But I don't know what else to do. I don't know. I don't even know why I wrote in this stupid book. Whatever. _

_Bye._

He didn't know why he insisted on writing in that dumb book.

'Must be something to do with Kairi.' He thought.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

In the past few days, calls from Destiny Island had been scarce. In fact, there had been none at all. It would have worried Sora sick had it not been for the fact that Sora was always at work, and if he wasn't at work, Tifa was calling him for his advice, and asking him to come down to the local fabric shop so he could help her.

Ever since she had decided to go ahead and under go reconstruction of her restaurant that had been all she thought about. _They want the Restaurant to have pillars built on the walls. Do you thing I should go with red like every one else, or should I go with deep purple? I don't think I want to keep the booths; the more I think about it, it's just a hassle. Will you come look at the chandelier I picked out; I'm not sure it's giving off the vibe I want. _At all times, it's like time had stopped in her world and it was suddenly okay for her to call at three in the morning. It was really bad when Leon had almost reached to phone before him. There had been some tricked out, half brained, new age ninja moves that night. And since Yuffie was still in Atlantica, enjoying to cool ocean breeze, he couldn't kind of go halfsies with her, and push some of this new driven Tifa on her.

And so with Tifa he still was, mid-afternoon, in the close to sweltering heat, helping her watch the progress of the restaurant. Making sure that the pillars were properly placed, the painters were painting what she wanted, the electricity was going good (not that he had a clue on how to tell if it was going _bad_.). And he had to keep a constant eye on Tifa, because she was beginning to be very difficult.

His mind was melting.

He looked around, uninterestedly, puffing his cheeks out, bored out of his mind. Tifa sat next to him, watching everyone intently; nothing was allowed to go wrong. He messaged her neck, trying to beat down the giant knot forming, calm her down, keep her in her seat…all excuses worked if it would keep her from yelling again.

"Hey!" It didn't work. "What are you doing? Those floor specialist shouldn't be here yet!" Sora turned around to see a construction worker shrugging agitatedly. Tifa growled. "No!" She yelled, shrugging Sora off and walking off towards the poor sap, who had no idea what he was in for. Even as the distance between him and her became greater he could still hear her yelling, "They aren't supposed to be here until tomorrow. The carpenter's aren't done yet!"

Three weeks. They wanted this done in three weeks.

Sora's eye twitched.

Maybe if he would just…hang himself, it'd be okay then.

"Sir?"

Sora turned around to see one of the construction workers standing with a phone in his hand. "Yes?" He asked.

"You're Sora, right?" Sora nodded. "Some guy named Leon just asked for you." He said, shoving the phone into Sora's arms and then walking away.

Sora just sighed. Leon didn't usually call and he knew he shouldn't be upset but…God! Why now? Shaking himself from his irritable thoughts, he put the phone to his ear. "'Lo?"

"I know you're busy, but you need to come back." Leon said.

'Not even so much as a hello.' Sora thought.

"Why?" He asked. This heat was seriously getting to him.

There was a very long pause, and then Leon sighed. "Just come home." And then he hung up.

Sora snorted. "Yes sir. I live to serve." He muttered under his breath.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

Sora noticed when he managed to return to the apartments, sweating profusely and beginning to wish he would take Leon's offers of driving him to work, was that there was a foreign car park next to Leon's. It wasn't the fact that there was a car, it was the fact that it was parked next to Leon's. Everyone around the apartments pretty much parked away from it (It was an odd thing to notice, but it was still true.).

He stared at it as he passed it, confused beyond belief, but determined to find out what Leon's problem was. He opened the door, quietly shutting it behind him.

"Leon?" He called, trying to find out where his boyfriend was in the house, so he could properly corner him and yell at him at the top of his lungs…because he was just in one of those moods. The reply he got was enough to shock him senseless, and it did.

"Sora!" _Roxas._

He turned the corner to the living room, and was tackled about midsection, by an overly hyper, Sora deprived, bouncing blob of energetic, blond haired boy. He instantly wrapped his arms around the boy, now just baffled stupid, but in his subconscious, somewhere he was ecstatic to see his brother.

He looked up to see Axel, looking like shit, if he was absolutely blunt, and then Leon. He caught the eye of his boyfriend, who looked at him accusingly, and Sora read his message easily.

_What the hell is this?_

Sora shrugged as indiscreetly as he could manage, still mid-hug with Roxas.

_I'm as lost as you._

He looked down at his brother, and then to Axel. "Wh-what…What are you guys doing here?" He looked around for Axel's other half. "Where's…K-Kairi?" He gasped.

Axel looked at the floor, while Roxas answered, "We missed you so much, we wanted to come see you! Kairi would've come, but she had to work." He answered happily.

Sora got a knot in his stomach when he looked up at Axel, whose eyes looked dazed and confused. He asked the question with his eyes, though he knew the answer already.

_Is that what really happened?_

Axel looked at the ground, and shook his head 'no'. Leon watched half way understanding, from what little Sora had told him about Kairi.

Sora looked down at Roxas, and smiled. "How long have you been here bugging Leon?" He asked, looking at Leon worriedly.

_What do I do?_ He asked with his eyes.

Leon's answer was simple, but it worked.

_Breathe._ He mouthed.

He nodded and turned to Roxas as he told him about his and Leon's meeting, what they had done in that time, and what he thought about the place.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

After Sora had settled Roxas into his bedroom, reading him a story, as was their custom, and clicking the light out as he left, he headed downstairs, finding Leon and Axel as he had left them. Leon was in the entrance of the hallway, and Axel was sitting on the couch.

"So what are your plans?" Sora asked consciously.

Axel sighed. "I got a hotel rented until I find a job. I'm sure someone could use a welder somewhere." He blew out a deep breath uninterestedly. "After that I'll probably look for a small house. I don't know."

"Thanks for bringing Roxas with you." Sora said.

"I didn't think it'd fly if I showed up without him. I've never seen you pissed off and frankly, I'm scared to."

They were silent after that, having nothing to say, and not knowing how to ask the next question, the more important question.

"What happened?" Sora finally cut to the chase.

Axel didn't reply right away. In fact, he made huge motions resembling the atom bomb with his arms, before they fell to his side again. He shook his head and sighed. "She did what we both knew she would do." He started. He didn't make eye contact with Sora, but stared at the wall instead, his hand clenching and unclenching the couch arm. "I came home from work one day and she was sitting on the couch, and before I could even say, 'Hey honey, how was your day?' she just blurted out she was leaving." He paused, looking at his hand on the couch.

Sora sighed, knowing Axel was waiting for some sort of ignition to get him to keep talking. "How passé of her." He said blandly.

"I knew it was coming." He snorted. "When she told me she was leaving me, I started asking her why she was, even though I knew…I had to hear it from her mouth. And let me tell you…" He let out a short guffaw. "She held nothing back. She just sat there and told me about all of her affairs, Wakka, Zel, Kadaj, and Tidus." He faltered. "Tidus. The bastard. _That's _who she's leaving me for."

Sora stood there and listened politely. Watching him as he sat on his couch and stormed and brewed calmly, if that was possible. Leon didn't budge or say anything, as per usual. But he put his hand on the small of Sora's back, rubbing in small circles. When his redheaded friend had finished, he sat there with his breath puffing in and out.

Sora said the only thing he could. "We told you she'd do this to you before you married her."

Axel nodded. "I know. We all knew. You knew worst of all…How did you deal with it?"

And Sora said the first smart-ass thing that came to mind. "I turned gay to spite her." Axel snorted again, while Sora only smiled a little. Then he continued again, in a more serious manner. "Honestly, by the time she finally admitted that she was seeing another man, I had been too." Axel looked shocked by this, but let Sora go on. "When she came to me about you, Riku and I had been together for a month." Sora's eyes glanced at the floor when he said the name, but out of habit, he told himself. "You never wondered why I wasn't so upset with you marrying her?"

"I always thought it was because you liked my ass." Axel said, and the worse part was, he was being completely serious.

Sora rolled his eyes. "Sorry to burst your bubble."

Axel looked at the ground, noticing the brownish carpet, with all the little ashes on it. "Oh, man. That was harsh. Everything is harsh!"

"You'll get over it." Sora said with finality. "You said it yourself, you knew it was coming. Just because she married you didn't mean she would change. She wasn't faithful to anyone she was ever with, she probably never will be faithful to anyone she is ever with. It's just Kairi and you learn to take her as she is. And you move on."

Axel sighed again. "But the divorce!" He yelled, throwing his head back on the couch.

"That my dear friend is out of my league of expertise." Sora admitted. "All I can say is: If you're staying in Hollow Bastion, you don't need the house, so you might as well give it to her. Then, just take your stuff and leave the rest behind."

Axel nodded. "That's sound advise from a little pouf."

"I do my best to be sugar and spice for ya." He retorted blandly. Then Sora yawned.

"I'll get out of here." Axel said. "Drive around. Pretend I know where I'm staying is at. Find a bar…something." He stood and stretched, patting his pockets down to make sure he had everything he needed. He reached his hand out to Leon, who promptly shook it. They said a quiet 'nice to meet you'. After, Axel turned to him, threw his arms open wide and them around Sora's head, giving his the biggest noogie of his life! "I missed ya kid." He said. And he was gone, leaving Sora and Leon standing in the hallway.

At first, Sora didn't honestly feel anything. And then he thought about it, and thought about it, and to make sure he didn't miss anything, he thought about it some more. His ex-girlfriend's almost, ex husband had just shown up with his little brother, while he was at work. His brother was upstairs in his room, kicking him out of his bed. Axel was moving into town, which meant his odd, older, brother, tendencies would pop back into his life. There would be a connection to his past. A sign waving in his face.

He sighed, unhappily staring at the door to their apartment. Leon's hand, which had never left his lower back, moved him towards the staircase. "Come on. You're tired."

Sora nodded, leaning into Leon as they climbed the stairs. At his door, Sora made to turn, fully prepared to crash on the floor. But Leon ran his hands to where they rested on his shoulders. "No. Come on. You can sleep in my bed." The little brunette nodded, stumbling into his room and into his bed fully clothed and not caring in the least.

Leon changed in his little bathroom, and then lay down behind his boyfriend. "You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Are you sure? You seem uneasy."

"It was just all so sudden." He sighed, wrapping his arms around one of Leon's flat pillows. "I didn't even see this coming. I mean, I knew she was going to do this one day; I just didn't think that it be so close after…_everything_! I feel like I only just left yesterday, and now here they are again."

"You don't seem as happy as I thought you would be." Leon said lying down under the covers. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing I can describe." Sora sighed. Leon wrapped his arms around Sora.

"Just sleep. Maybe you'll feel better in the morning. And if you don't…call Tifa and see if she'll let you have the day off, and I'll tell my tenants that I'm off for the day as well." He kissed the top of Sora's head. "You'll get through it. You always do."

Sora nodded, yawned, and fell asleep like he was told to.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

"You know, we've slept in the same bed a few times before tonight." Sora said into the bathroom. He was still in bed, having called Tifa to say that he wasn't coming in. Leon was in the bathroom brushing his teeth and hair. "And you've never once _tried_ anything."

He heard water run, and then spitting. The water turned off and he heard a very slight 'clink' as the toothbrush hit the sink. "You're not ready for that kind of thing yet. I can respect that." Leon emerged from the bathroom, still in his pajamas, but still more composed looking than Sora.

Sora rolled over onto his stomach, stacking all of the pillows he could find on the bed under his head so he could look at Leon with little difficulty. "What if I was ready?"

They stared at each other for a while; Leon came to lie on the end of the bed, at Sora's feet. He looked to be thinking for a second, and Sora had the good graces to blush at such an explicit question.

"Then it'll come naturally." Leon said, resolutely. "All in good time."

Sora was about to say something about…_something_! He was sure, but was interrupted by Roxas stomping up the stairs. He opened all the doors he could find, the proof was heard as the all the doors in the hallway being slammed open, before he finally got to Leon's. He stood there for a moment, looking at the two of them with big blue eyes.

"I can't find the cartoon channel!" He said indignantly.

Sora snorted, rubbing his face. He looked down at his feet at Leon, who looked at Roxas like he was some new and interesting species.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

"So…what'd you do last night after you left here?" Sora asked to tall redhead in his kitchen. Leon had gone to the store to pick up some pork chop, for dinner for Roxas, Axel, and him, and some vegetables for Sora's dinner.

He gulped down a spoonful of yogurt, Sora's yogurt (the prick.). "I found a bar." He said. "Drank myself stupid." He scraped the bottom of the cup for the very last bit of yogurt.

"Please say you didn't drive home drunk."

Axel paused his eyes wide, as he looked at Sora. "I don't know who drove home." He said, clearly not having thought about that.

"Who? There was more than you in the car?"

"Her name was…fuck." He thought for a moment, the only amount of time he ever thought about anything. "Her name was Larxene!" He said finally remembering.

"And you don't remember who drove home? Were you both drunk?"

"I don't remember." Axel admitted. "I barely remembering her waking me up to tell me she was leaving."

"You slept with her?"

"No! We made hand puppets on the wall!" Axel said snidely. "Yeah, I slept with her."

"Why?" Sora asked.

Axel shrugged. "She was _there_! I don't know. You know I have no control when I'm drunk."

Sora sighed. "You don't think you'll regret that?"

Axel grinned, one of those fool-hearted grins, that said, 'don't worry' and thought, 'what have I done?'

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

After that day it was harder to find Axel. He was always off doing something. By day he was off searching for a job, looking around town, and by night, he was at the bar. It worried Sora, but didn't at the same time. Roxas went everywhere with Sora, and Sora felt guilty, knowing that somehow Roxas had developed abandonment issues, and that it was his fault. Leon worked harder during the summers, because more air conditioners broke during the summer, and the old people that lived around the place became crankier.

So, between his managing the apartments and Sora's job, they barely saw each other during the week, though they made sure to spend at least an hour together each night.

Within two weeks of Tifa starting the remodeling to her restaurant it was finished and Sora could hardly recognize it from the photo Tifa held up for them to inspect the damage. There were no windows, as opposed to the diner, which had windows everywhere. They had done away with the booths. And instead of whites and green, they had used deep chocolates and purples to decorate the interior.

And to celebrate the finish of her restaurant, the entire group had decided to eat at the place before it officially reopened. All except for Yuffie, who was upsettingly still in Atlantica.

They had pushed two tables together, and covered the mahogany wood with royal purple linens, placed the new china down and then sat around it themselves. Roxas and Naminé were placed by each other, which suited them just fine because they finally had someone their own age to talk to. Tifa served one of her best lamb steaks for everyone, except Sora, whom she made her famous vegetable soup for. Everything was doing perfectly; even Cid was considerably less grumpy, or less grumpy than he usually was. Everyone was so happy tonight.

Once the dinner was finished with, Cloud stood up, a small smile playing on his face. "Everyone…I wanted to tell you all that Naminé went to her first appointment today. They gave her the first treatment." Everyone clapped. "She goes in for another treatment next week, and then another the week after that. And on the second week of next month she goes in for her operation." Everyone one clapped for Naminé, who was stating shyly into her lap.

Beside him, Sora heard the kids' small conversation.

"You're sick?" Roxas whispered.

"Yeah."

"Why didn't' you tell me?"

Naminé looked at him bewildered. "Why should I?"

"Because." Roxas shrugged. "It's something people would want to know."

Naminé nodded. "I'll remember that next time."

Sora couldn't help but smile at that. He looked at Leon, who watched the children with him as well. He didn't smile at the conversation that was going on around him. Sora had never really paid attention to how Leon acted when he was around people other than Sora, himself. But now he did.

Leon never really talked to anyone other than Tifa and Sora. He said a few words here and there to Cloud and Aerith, but they never really seemed to talk to each other, more of _at_ each other. He never really smiled, and he was only polite about the things that he had to speak about. He didn't show emotion in public. He was distant, and cool, and he kept to himself.

Sora had never really noticed this, but now that he had, it bugged him.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

Cloud, Aerith and Naminé had left almost directly after the announcement. Sora and Aerith had decided to let the kids meet in the park a few times during the week, since the two had taken off so well.

After that the air in the room had changed as it left Tifa, Cid, Leon, Sora, and, of course, Roxas. Tifa seemed to gain a predatory gleam in her eyes as Cid walked around looking for his coat. Cid didn't seem to notice her stares, or if he did, he ignored them. And Tifa didn't seem to mind this, but when he was halfway through shrugging his coat on she began to talk.

"Where's Yuffie, Cid?" She said. To Sora it didn't really sound like Tifa. Her voice was cruel and frosted, but she smiled beguilingly.

Cid glared at Tifa, daring her to continue, but she didn't seem to care. She stood up and folded her hands behind her back. " She was supposed to be home last week wasn't she?" She looked at Cid from the corner of her eye, taking in his tightly set lips. "She didn't come home did she?… But she called you. What did she say? Did she _tell _you?"

Her voice was so cold, and her eyes pierced through the older blonde like arrows. Cid's face turned into a mask of hatred. But he still didn't say anything. Tifa leered at him, finally feeling free to say what she wanted it seemed.

"She called me." She said, matter-of-factly. "She told me. Do you want me to tell you what she said?"

He didn't answer. He shrugged his coat on and stared at her defiantly.

"She told me she was leaving you. That she was staying in Atlantica…with another man." She glared at him. "A_ better_ man."

"Yeah, and I heard the little whore of a bitch got knocked up with the first guy that she could find." He shot at her.

"Funny, I heard she got in bed with the first guy who didn't remind her of you." She countered.

Cid started for her, and Tifa seemed completely fine with this. But before Sora could get a complete hold of Leon's sleeve, his boyfriend had stepped in front of Cid's rushing body. Cid was thrown off guard and ended up on the ground.

"Knock it off!" Leon yelled.

Sora decided to take Roxas home before they really got nasty. "Come on, runt." Sora said, holding his hand, which Roxas took. They headed out of the restaurant and walked the few blocks between the diner and Leon's apartments.

"What happened back there?" Roxas asked.

"Cid and Tifa don't like each other."

"Why not?"

"Cid's not a nice man."

"Oh," He yawned. "I'm tired, Sora." Roxas rolled his head around on his shoulders, shutting his eyes and breathing in deep.

_Riku did that._

It was such a simple thought. He had thought it millions of times before; it was nothing new. And that upset Sora. It was nothing new. It wasn't 'Cloud did that' or 'Axel did that' or, what he wanted most, 'Leon did that.' It was the same thing as it had been last month, or the month before that.

He wasn't getting better.

He shook his head, dislodging such thoughts from his mind while Roxas was around. "Come here." Sora said, stopping and waiting for his brother to do as he was told. Roxas stepped forward, knowing what Sora was going to do, and he raised his arms. Sora picked him up from the ground; thoroughly surprised he could still do this with relative ease. They continued the walk home, Roxas resting his head on Sora's shoulder and eventually falling asleep. And by the time they got home Sora easily slipped Roxas into his bed, and slipped off into the living room to wait for Leon.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

Most of the lights were off in the apartment when Sora heard Leon open the door. He didn't say anything, having been worried about what to do with his small dilemma he had developed; he didn't want to say anything that might betray his discomfort. So he stayed quiet, listening as Leon came through the first floor, flipping on lights as he went and calling out his name.

"Sora! There you are." Leon said, suddenly as he flicked the hallway light and shedding light into the other wise dark room. Sora blinked several times, adjusting from the nighttime light that leaked through the apartment to the blinding glare of the light bulb, never noticing before how bright the off white walls seemed to be at night. "Sora?"

"Yeah?" He said, his voice sounding dismal even to his own ears. He shifted a little, laying down on the couch and tucking his head into his folded arms.

"Why didn't you answer?" He asked coming to sit in the space that the curled up brunette left for him. "You feeling okay?"

Sora didn't say anything; he mumbled something incoherent into his arms, which would sound incoherent even if he had said something. Leon didn't seem to notice this but he rubbed the base of his neck soothingly. "Want something from the store?"

"Are you going out again?" Sora asked, looking up from his arms.

"If you want something."

"You're just going to go if I want something?" Sora asked, skeptically. "Why?"

"Do I need a reason?" Leon's face never changed from its stoic expression, but he could sense the confusion, almost hinting on irritation, in his voice.

Sora didn't think he was ready to start this conversation, but if he didn't now, he knew he never would. It had been bugging him for the past few days. How Leon was so passive with even his own sister at times, and yet so soft towards him? He did want answers but was afraid of the price they would come at. But a past was a past, and what kind of person would he be if he didn't want to know how Leon had come to be Leon?

Taking a deep breath he asked. "Why are you so nice to me? Why have you _always_ been so nice to me? I've seen you around your friends and your sister, people you've known forever. You're cold to them…but not me. Why?"

Leon stared at him, blank expression fusing into several different emotions, until finally he sighed. "We've all been through too much for us to act nice to one another." He started slowly. "It's seems like it's only Cloud and I, and there are times that maybe it is just us, but everyone does it, even Aerith.

"We've all lost our parents, whether it was physically or mentally, we've lost them just the same. We lived through a plague, and the loss of people very close to us; some of who were barely ten, others were nearly a hundred. It's not something you can exactly get up in the morning and say, 'What a great day to be alive!' We all wondered why it couldn't have been someone else, the person next door, why couldn't it have been us? And even if that feeling has subsided, the tendencies don't. We got used to keeping people at arms length, because we're very close with the fact that someone might not be there when you wake up."

Sora, who had been digesting everything Leon said, interrupted him, trying to grasp how this didn't affect him. "But I've been through some of the same things." He argued.

Leon nodded. "Are you trying to tell me you don't hold people at arms length?"

"Well, I…" He did, didn't he? He didn't let any of the others know anything about his personal life, and only asked about life threatening matters with his friends. He barely talked to those he didn't have to. And he was afraid of getting too close to Leon for fear that Riku would always hold his heart more than that of the brunette. He looked down at his hands, not having realized how cold even he was. But he pursued with Leon anyway, pushing him to keep talking about his life, rather than, as usual, getting sucked up into Sora's. "Then why are you always so nice to me? So caring?"

Leon continued to stroke Sora's hair, like he had been doing before Sora started this conversation. "You remember me talking about my mother when you first moved in? I told you she was distraught when my father died. She really was too, and she went in a spiraling path downwards, struggling with this same thing you are. But no one helped her."

"So I'm just like a task to help you feel better for not getting to your mother in time?"

"No! You're a determination not to let the same thing happen twice. I hate people who say history repeats itself, because it's not true. Humans repeat history. I suppose it's why Aerith and Cloud made me so angry, because they've already been through this, and weren't doing anything different this time. The fact that you have some of the same symptoms as my mother, I won't lie, is part of the reason I started really talking to you. But, you're your own person, and really nothing like my mother. And I'm with you because you remind me of you, not my mother." Leon looked into Sora's eyes. "But that's not what really bothers you is it? My taciturn nature isn't what started this is it?"

Sora faltered. He had been prepared for Leon to read him like a book, yet it still bothered him that he could, but he had opened this can of worms and was determined to see this through. He wouldn't lie to Leon. He lied to everyone else. He _refused_ to lie to Leon. "There are things you do," He started after a deep breath. "That remind me of Riku. And things other people do that remind me of Riku."

"That's natural, Sora. It's called memories. You can't push him out of your…"

He was cut off. "Nothing ever seems to remind me of you though." Sora said shortly. He looked at the ground, away from Leon's confused stare. "I think about him more, and it upsets me, because I should be moving on." He dared a glance at Leon, whose eyes were empty. "I mean…I do think about you, but it just seems to pale in comparison. And I feel bad, because he's not here any more, and I'm dating you and I should think about you more. Because you're the one making me happy now and…"

"You miss him." Leon said abruptly. Sora stopped mid-sentence, looking at Leon incredulously. Of course he missed him! Leon rested his hand on Sora's cheek. "It's natural, I think. It's natural to think about him, to miss him. It natural to think about what he did, and what he said. It's natural to wish that I was sometimes him." Sora looked at him, horrified that he had known what Sora sometimes thought. "It doesn't…okay, it bugs me in the slightest way that you think about Riku more than me. But it doesn't surprise me.

"You try to forget Riku, and so more things remind you of him. You don't allow yourself the simple pleasure of just letting him in, so when you think about him it's a mortal sin to you. It's not that bad, and you can live with the memory of him and the prospect of me. It may hurt, it may feel wrong, but you can. You just have to let yourself.

"I don't expect you to think about me more than you do him. Just as long as I'm in there somewhere."

"And you don't mind if I talk about him?" Sora asked, quietly, still not meeting Leon's eyes.

"No." Leon said honestly. "Now admittedly if I'm going down on you I don't want to hear his name pop up, but…" Sora looked up at him in shock, and Leon had to smirk a little. "It's not as if I'm going to execute you for talking about him."

Sora grimaced. "You really are too good for me." He sighed, pulling on a loose thread in Leon's torn jeans.

Leon let out a small smile. "You really do deserve the best." He countered, wrapping his arms around Sora.

Sora leaned into Leon and stayed quiet for moments. Not knowing what to say in return to the other. He decided to change the subject finally; afraid of where these serious conversations would lead them.

"What happened after I took Roxas home?"

"Nothing. They yelled at each other for a few more minutes, and then Cid left. It was almost like the entire thing had just been…needed. Like they had just needed to get how they felt out on the table." Leon stroked Sora's hair. "When Yuffie left I guess that gave them an opening."

Sora sighed. "How anticlimactic." Leon snorted. "I'm going to miss her."

"I'm going to miss the way she never stopped smiling." Leon said.

Sora vaguely remembered a time when he used to smile all the time.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

The next day when Roxas was talking to Sora on their walk to Tifa's restaurant (The kid was a great distraction for Tifa. It was _great_!), he began talking about the new place, asking if he would ever get used to the scent of the carnival that always seemed to linger in the air (Sora had to smile. He had gotten so used to the scent, he had completely forgotten about it.), and he was kicking rocks. Sora had never really noticed, but his little brother always did that, and it reminded him so strongly of someone else…

He smiled again.

Leon did that, too.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

A/N: Holy freaking schmuckers! That chapter was Hella long and took forever to figure out! I'm sorry if it wasn't as cohesive as you wanted, but I just finished it, it's late, and it took me too long to write it in the first place. Lol. I'm so freaking lazy!

Thank you for reading this incredibly long chapter. And please review! It makes me happy!

InnocentGuilt 


	9. Ansem's Heartless Disease

A/N: This was fun to write; it had a lot of drama. Made me extraordinarily happy! YUM!

And now to my reviewers:

Miss Vix: I was sad to get rid of Yuffie, but she makes an appearance in the later chapters. So at most you have to chapters to wait for.

Steven Kodaly: You make me so happy when you try to guess what's going to happen. I hope I answered most of your questions in this chapter. I'm really hoping to please.

SAW: Yeah… I was happy with that last chapter's…entire conversation thing. I didn't like it at first but I reread it I was like…Sweet.

GhostInTheDark: I'm glad you liked that chapter so much. **Runs away with the candy** YUM! I hope you like this. It's about the same size. Lots of drama, lots of yumminess!

Venksie-Poo!: God I love you! Will you marry me? Ahh you make me so happy with your reviews. It almost mast me giddy. In fact…scratch the almost.

Ichi-desu: Yeah…They didn't do anything…in _that_ chapter…Yeah. I'll leave it there. And the explanations of the story in conversation form is like the only way I can do that. It's sad. Lol

Dark-Hopeless-Romantic: I am a savior! Ha! I am the protector from book and evil librarians! I rule! I'm glad I saved you! Thanks for reading my story!

Darkblade Wielder: it was indeed enough said. I'm glad you like the story.

And now…On with the story!

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

"What do you think, Sora?"

Sora still stood in awe. He had seen this place before, and throughout it face lift, as Tifa had come to call it. But to see it put together in the daytime, god, it was magnificent. He touched one of the pillars, draped with deep purple and chocolate brown fabric, hiding all but little keyholes of the actual white stone. The tables are made of beautiful mahogany wood with cushioned seats and backs, some are around the walls of the restaurant but most are on a platform set above to ground to give dimension to the restaurant. The walls are white with mahogany trim, but they glow with a warm yellow that the chandelier and fanlights give off.

"Wow." He said simply. "Just…wow."

She nodded standing by him as if she were going to faint. "That's what I think." She breathed happily.

They walked around the new diner, renamed Uncle's, for the man she had bought it from. The private rooms, hidden towards the back, were walled with cherry wood, white accents and purple tablecloths. Sora lightly touched one of the blue roses that were centered in one of the table.

"All of this must have cost a fortune." Sora murmured.

Tifa grimaced, her eyes towards the floor. "The Royal Magician wanted it changed, so changed it was." She said.

"When is the Royal court coming?" Sora asked.

"In a week."

Sora sighed, worriedly. "Are you nervous?"

"I'm shaking." She admitted feebly.

"You know, why don't you take the time before that off? I'll manage the restaurant until then."

Tifa looked at him like a dear caught in the headlights. "What?! Are you crazy?" She yelled. "You work way too much right now as far as I'm concerned. If you took over the restaurant you'd practically be here all day!"

"You're here all day! For at least 360 days out of the year. You need some down time or your brain will fry along with your fried ice-cream." Sora yelled back at her, making insane gestures with his arms and hands.

"It would be unfair of me to ask you." She tried.

Sora smiled one of his huge, cheesy, face-eating smiles, and said, "It's why you didn't have to ask me."

Tifa looked around her restaurant, her eyes filling with worry. "I don't want to stress you." She said softly.

"I don't want you to blow it."

Tifa looked at him contemptuously. "Your way with words is breathtaking." She droned finally slumping her shoulders in defeat. "Fine." She said. "I'll take the next five days off. And then my quota is filled and you can't make me leave my baby for another year."

Sora laughed and nodded. "Deal."

&$&$&$&$&$&$&

The five days without Tifa passed by quickly enough, and to his _immense_ surprise, everyone did exactly as he ordered. Sora had a twist of a sneaking suspicion that either Tifa had threatened their lives or that they had some weird respect for him. Both he was fine with because he didn't need the stress anyhow. Axel had been missing on and off for the last week, and each day Sora became more and more scared that he would just give up and commit suicide.

But he would always show up at the end of the second day, still as drunk as he had been for the past month. Sora had tried talking to him about getting help, but he would only mumble something about not needing it, and run away, sometimes literally. Axel had become more reclusive, staying in his apartment on his quickly dwindling munny. Sora hardly doubted that Axel had even began looking for a job.

He had tried talking to Kairi. But she never picked up the phone, and she never returned his calls. After a week or two he had given up that she would ever speak to him again. He didn't know why she would hide from him, but that's what it felt as though she was doing.

Roxas spent his days alternating between Aerith, Leon and Sora himself. He enjoyed his days, but the longer he spent away from Sora the more agitated he became. The entire week Sora had been looking over the diner, Roxas had experienced some of the worst tantrums Sora had ever seen in his life. He was almost afraid Leon may snap with such a needy child in the house, but he took it all in stride, helping in Sora's quest to calm his brother down from his hysterics.

In those five days he had to watch over the diner, they had been to see Aerith and Cloud's twice, everyone there and accounted for minus two, as Yuffie wasn't even in the same town, which proved to somber Tifa quite a bit, and Cid wouldn't be anywhere near them. And it was almost looking as if they would never hear from him again. Naminé's operation was due in three weeks. Sora wasn't full in on the procedures, but after this Naminé was going to be a fully healthy nine-year-old girl. Which pleased everyone to pieces.

The word on Yuffie was scarce and most confusing. She had left Cid after finding out she was pregnant with another man's child. It was a bit…stretched if you asked Tifa. Because according to Tifa, there was just no way someone could tell they were pregnant within a week. But that's what Yuffie apparently insisted on, so they let it stand. And they would have to, because she wasn't coming back.

Such an announcement had ended his week of stress, and began his week of hell.

The day Tifa came back to work, she granted his permission to leave early, she had told him that he deserved it for watching her daycare center for nearly a week. And so he had gone home. It was still later in the afternoon, around three, which meant that either Aerith would have taken Roxas home or Leon would have picked him up, so he didn't have to worry about such things and he went straight to the apartment.

Sora enter the flat quietly, hoping to surprise everyone with his half day off. He kicked his shoes off at the door, along with his coat that Tifa had insisted he get. He felt absolutely retarded running around in jeans and a t-shirt with a suit jacket over it, but Tifa had insisted and so he did.

Running a hand through his hair, absently, he took off slowly down the hallway, listening for signs of where his boyfriend and brother were. The TV couldn't be heard from the hallway, so Roxas wasn't in the living room with his cartoons. And he couldn't smell anything in the kitchen so he had almost assumed that he wasn't in there either, but the closer he got to the kitchen he began to hear bits of conversation.

"…She's just that way." He heard Axel's slurred voice, he was probably still drunk, or on his way to getting drunk, or trying to get in a more drunkly state than he already was.

"Kairi doesn't sound like someone you can just chum up to without having repercussions." He heard Leon's voice.

"She's not like that at all though. She's very nice. She does what she thinks is best for people. She's a dirty skank but she does have a heart." Axel defended. Sora was going to just walk in and change the subject, but he hesitated, curious at where this was going. With Leon's next words however, he started walking again, not wanting a confrontation.

"Sora told me she put him in a institution for not getting over Riku's death quick enough." He said, and Sora groaned inwardly, almost positive that Axel would react violently, with him being drunk and her leaving still being fresh.

"No. That was the psychiatrist idea. She was just dumb enough to follow it. Had she wanted him in there he would still be in there." Axel said, slowing Sora down from his run. He heard a clink, probably Axel putting some sort of bottle down and then he continued. "No. The only thing she can actually be blamed of is never telling Sora why Riku died."

Everything Sora had been doing stopped. He stopped breathing, moving; he even thought his heart stopped for a moment. His hand flew out to the wall to support him, and his other flew over his mouth to keep him silent.

"Sora said he died of some unknown ailment." He could hear the confusion in Leon's voice, and a shuffling of a seat being pulled out so someone could sit.

"That's what she was told to say." There was a great pause and then Axel continued. "Riku told us not to tell a soul on earth what was wrong with him, not even Sora. But he died of a disease known as Ansem's Heartless Disease. A heart degenerating disease that slowly slowed the functioning of the heart. The veins get all clogged up, heart slows beating over a period of time, chest pains. A slow painful death basically."

'_Oh no_' His mind echoed over and over. '_Nonononono! NO!_' He slipped down the wall, holding himself and trying to stop his teeth from clattering too loudly. He wasn't sad. He wasn't. The tears threatening to slip down his face weren't tears of anguish. More, they were tears of anger. He gripped his heart, afraid that it was withering in his chest, feeling sobs wrack his body. He kept the cries quiet, not wanting to miss out if anything else was said that he needed to hear.

"And no one ever told Sora?" Leon demanded, his own temper rising as well.

"No." Axel said in awe, completely unaware of Leon's rising temper. "No one ever got up the gumption to tell Sora that Riku was and did die of a disease. Not even after the man died. They just kept the secret." He giggled maniacally; Axel was a very scary drunk. It stopped as he sobered instantly, and, as if he had had an epiphany, exclaimed, "My god, I find that so incredibly ridiculous."

"You think so?" Leon growled.

He heard a clinking, as if someone had set glass down on the counter. "Yeah. I really do think so. It's like we were scared that his ghost might have come to haunt us if we broke his secret out to Sora. Like he would yell at us."

He could hear Leon's harsh breathing from where he was sitting. "So you just went on letting Sora think he killed Riku?"

"Sora never thought that did he?" Axel asked, suddenly horrified.

There was another huge pause, and in the hallway, Sora was nearly hyperventilating.

"The day before Riku died, Sora told me they went to a party…"

"Yeah, Kairi and I threw that."

"Riku originally didn't want to go. He didn't feel good. But Sora didn't want to be by himself so he begged his to go with him, and Riku agreed. When they got home…" Leon paused, taking a deep breath as he continued with what Sora had divulged to him. "When they got home, Riku was violently sick; he kept throwing up blood. And the next morning when Sora woke up he didn't." Leon finished the story, but he wasn't done. "If he didn't know about his disease…he had just practically forced Riku to go somewhere when he was sick! If he didn't know about the disease did you think he would've done?" He yelled loudly, his fists hitting the counter angrily.

"Oh god…I didn't know! Sora never told us that." There was a loud screeching of a chair being shoved around. "I've gotta find him and tell him! I can't believe I never thought about that." He slurred.

Sora picked himself off of the floor quickly as he heard the heavy boots of the red head coming towards him. He sniffled and rubbed his nose, squaring his shoulders as the begins of a black boot appeared from the doorway.

"Sora!" Axel yelped when he nearly ran straight into Sora. "How much did you…?"

"Hear?" Sora asked. "How much did I hear?" His face was red, and flushed hot. His hands were shaking with his barely contained rage, with his hurt. "I heard enough. Enough to want you to leave." He whispered.

"Sora…I-"

"NO!" Sora cut him off. "OUT!" He pointed his finger toward the door. Noticing, somewhere in the back of his mind as Leon came out of the kitchen and his brother come out of his room to hang over the stair banister.

Axel left quickly, not wanting to anger his friend any further than he already had. Sora stared at the spot where he had stood, breathing hard, and trying to get the anger to leave his system. He slipped to the floor slowly, breathing irrationally all over again. Tears leaked from his eyes, so he squeezed them tightly shut, wrapping his arms around his body to stop from shuddering over and over and over again.

Thunderous footsteps echoed through the house and he felt small arms wrap around him from the side.

"Don't leave me Sora." His brother pleaded with him, stroking his spiky brown locks soothingly. Sora only cried harder, pulling his brother into his arms. "Promise you won't leave me again Sora, please." Sora hugged his brother tighter, and it seemed that was enough for Roxas, because he didn't say anything after that. Sora knew Leon was still behind him. And he knew that Sora needed Roxas now more than he needed Leon, Roxas being the only person connected to Riku that he was mad at. So he stood in the background for the moment.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

"Hey." Leon said quietly, setting down by Sora on the couch. "How you-?"

"I'm fine." Sora snapped, hugging one of the couch pillows to his chest.

"That's really convincing." Leon said calmly. "Talk to me." He insisted, grabbing Sora's hand.

Sora pulled his hand out of the light grasp, keeping his eyes on the table in front of him. "There's nothing to talk about. I found out the truth, I'm pissed. End of story." He stood up and walked to the other side of the room and beginning to pace.

"That's not the end of the story." Leon sighed. "What's going on up there? You never had a problem talking to me before." He paused waiting for Sora to say something. When he didn't Leon tried again. "Come on. You were so upset when you thought he had died of an unknown reason, now you know."

"And I thought I would be happy!" He yelled. "But I'm not! I'm mad. Mad that he didn't tell me himself. Mad that Kairi and Axel didn't tell me. Mad that they let me go on like that for so long." He rubbed his face irritably.

"I can understand that! It's perfectly understandable." He said. It sounded like he wanted to say more, but if he did he didn't. Instead he said, "I'm going to bed. See you in a bit." And he stood and walked towards the staircase.

"Wait!" Sora called, confused at Leon's reaction. Leon turned around patiently, looking him with shielded eyes, something Sora wasn't used to. "Don't I get a good night kiss?" He asked, his heart beating with rejection.

Leon gave a crooked smile and walked back to him, giving Sora a quick peck on the lips. "I love you." He said quietly, successfully freezing Sora in his spot. He tucked a piece of Sora's hair behind his ear and kissed his forehead. And then he walked away to the stairs again, leaving a dazed Soar in his wake.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

Sora was in Leon's bathroom, getting ready for bed. He had stayed up trying to analyze his feelings, only to get so horribly confused he had merely wasted an hour crying, again. Finally he had decided that he just wasn't going to try, and that he should get to bed so he could be there for Tifa when the King came. He had brushed his hair and washed his face. And he was looking through the medicine cabinet trying to find some toothpaste, but stopped when he found a bottle of aspirin. Slowly his hand inched toward the bottle, snapping the lid off of the top. It was almost all the way full.

He couldn't help but wonder…

He dumped the entire bottle into his hand, staring down the pills in his hand. '_Talk about take two and call me in the morning_' Sora thought sarcastically, raising his hand to his mouth.

'_Whatcha doing Sora?'_

Sora turned around trying to see who was in the bathroom with him.

'_Oh, stop Sora. It's all in your head, love.'_

Sora creased his forehead in confusion, wondering why in the world Riku voice was talking to him in the bathroom.

'_What? The giant stack of pills isn't hint enough for you?'_ He heard a faint chuckling. _'Sora you're being silly. You don't need to do that. You're only thinking about it cause you're mad._' Riku's voice scolded him. _'You don't want to do that. You're finally getting your life back together. You're finally getting better.'_

Sora shook his head, trying to get his brain to stop doing this to him.

'_See? You want me out. You want to be able to go one day without me preying on your mind.'_ Again Sora shook his head, but not to get the voice out. To tell Riku that he would never wish that.

'_I love you, Riku.'_ He thought loudly.

'_Yeah, I know you do. But I'm not why you stopped to listen to me.' _The voice practically sighed in his head. _'Hey you remember when we used to go around telling every one that we were each other true loves? Yeah, those were the days huh? You know if I thought about it now, I wouldn't say that.'_ Riku paused for dramatic effect. _'If I had to guess I'd say we were more of Soul Mates. The whole, connection deeper than either of us could realize. But we never had that understanding for one another the second we looked at each other. Not the way you and Leon do.'_

'_What are you saying?_' Sora asked Riku. Feeling a little more than odd standing in front of a mirror with a pile of pills in his hand, and arguing with a dead man's voice in his head.

He heard the chuckling again. _'Come one Sora, you know what I'm saying. I'm saying that if you do this, you will regret it more than anything in the world. Even you know that.'_

'_I'm still mad at you.' _Sora thought somberly.

'_Hell, I'd expect nothing less.'_ And then the voice was gone. He even felt an imaginary empty space in his mind where the Riku's voice had been. He looked down at he hand, staring in wonderment as he finally noticed that his hand was turned upside down and the only proof that he had even held the pills was a small pinkish-red pill next to the drain.

He picked the small thing up, popping it into his mouth and swallowing. _'Geez, I need therapy.'_

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

Sora left before Leon was even up the next morning. He had to go help Tifa get the restaurant prepared for the King's arrival today. He went to Roxas' room, shaking his brother awake and telling him to get dressed, and then running downstairs to make him some breakfast. When Roxas was finished and had eaten they left to walk to Aerith's house, and Sora waved his brother goodbye before walking back the diner.

Tifa already had most of it set up. The private rooms in the back where set up especially for him and some of his court members, plus his bodyguards. Tifa and Sora would be regulating the private sector mainly today, leaving one of the managers to regulate the main area until his departure.

The entire time, Sora was on autopilot. He thought minimally and only did something when he was told. He didn't think he could bare to let himself think more than plates, silverware, glasses…check.

"Sora, honey, are you feeling okay?" Tifa asked. She had been watching him all day, or morning more like it. And the fact that he had been in practically a comatose state had not escaped her sight.

Sora snapped his head up to her. "Yeah." He said. "Why?"

"You're like an open book, Sora. You're eyes say everything."

He nodded, "Then why did you ask. My eyes have already told you."

"Because I adore your voice." She smiled. "Want to talk about it?"

Sora took a deep breath, willing himself not to take his frustration out on her. It wasn't her fault for being worried over him. He would worry to if he cared. But it was just so annoying hearing that question over and over again. He shook his head slowly, willing himself to breathe steadily. "No, Tifa. I'd much rather crawl under a rock and never see the sun again."

She laughed at him. "You want to take the day off early?"

"Tifa the king comes today." Sora protested.

"Yeah, and if you're here he'll take you instead of talking to me." She said snarkily. "Besides if you're in a bad mood you'll drag me down. You helped with the decoration, now leave!" She demanded, her arm outstretched and pointing towards the door.

He smirked. "God, when did you become so pushy?" He joked, grabbing his bag off of the ground. He kissed her cheek, and gave her a quick hug, demanding that she call the instance it was done and tell him how it went. He left the diner, still smiling happily at how it had come along, but slowly he fell into a somber mood.

He went back to the apartment, nothing that everything about the place was much bigger when Leon and Roxas weren't milling around. He went into the living room, flipping the TV on and to the cartoon channel (which made him feel better when Roxas wasn't around), turning it up as he went to the kitchen to make himself some lunch. He stood in front of the open kitchen door staring emptily at the shelves loaded with food Leon had bought specifically for him.

Deciding he wasn't going to eat lunch today he went to the couch watching some dumb cartoon that was on the television. He let his mind veg out, his eyes unfocusing and his breath evening. He was like this and well on his way to sleep when the phone rang from the coffee table where more than likely, Leon had left it. Sora stared at it in shock, his heart hammering, and then it rang again. He leapt for it, grabbing it before it could ring again.

"Hello?" He asked drowsily, still shaking off the effects of his almost nap.

"Sora! Baby how are you?"

He pulled the phone away from his ear looking at it confusedly.

"Kairi?"

She sighed, "Yeah. It's me."

He glared at the phone. "What…Wh-What do you want?" He stuttered out, his anger flaring at the very sound of her voice, as he moved from the couch to the floor to get more comfortable.

She let out a nervous laugh. "I wanted to talk to you. It's been a long time and…and, uh…"

"And _what_?" he snapped his anger getting the best of him.

He heard her give a small, almost inaudible sob, but he had known her for so long he caught up on it instantly. "He told me what happened last night." She said finally.

"I didn't think he would tell you." Sora said.

"You were my light first." She said sadly, continuing only to say. "Before I burnt you out."

Sora couldn't say anything to that. And even if he could have he wouldn't. So he stared down at his hands again, feeling an overriding sense of déjà vu flood his mind as he began twiddling with his ring. His ring that Riku gave him. His Riku that had died and never told him why. And neither had Kairi. No one had. No one would have either. They were just fine to watch him fall into a burning pit of despair. They would have just…let him go on just like he was. Why?

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, his voice laden with pain.

Another pause followed this, as Kairi tried to gather the words she wanted to say. "He said he didn't want to tell you because it would hurt your relationship. He was afraid of everything when it concerned you and his disease in the same sentence. He was afraid you would leave him, afraid you would feel obligated to care for him, afraid you would see him as weak." She took a deep breath. "He was afraid if he told you, you would waste you life thinking somehow you could have helped. You meant so much to him and he didn't want to ruin all of that because he had some irrevocable ailment."

Despite the fact that that had shed some light, he still wasn't satisfied. "But you knew I wouldn't!" Sora hissed.

"Of course I did! And I did try to tell him Sora you know I would have. But he just didn't want to hurt you. He thought that if you never knew that you would be able to move on, take it for one of life's many quirks in life, move on, like you always seemed to." She sighed. "But faking only goes on for so long doesn't it?"

"Don't talk to me like that." Sora told her. "You don't have the right anymore. You don't even know me."

"Sora…"

"Don't. You should have told me and you know it."

"He didn't want me to!"

"Then why didn't you tell me after he left?"

"Because." She said evasively.

"That doesn't cut it. Why couldn't you tell me? Why could you just give me his death?"

"Because I was afraid to lose you too!" She yelled into the speaker. He could hear her breathing heavily over the phone, telling him that she was angry as well. He could practically see her pulling on the ends of her hair like she used to whenever he was there. "Everything I ever did from moment one after Riku died was because I thought you were next. I didn't tell you why Riku was dying because I thought you would go and get yourself killed. I moved you and Roxas to my house because one day I was afraid you were going to kill yourself while Roxas was a school. I put you in therapy because I thought you were withering away to fast for me to put you back together. I signed the papers to your fucking clinic because I thought you would be better if you had something other than me, a fucking whore, who can barely hold onto herself let alone try to help the only person who I ever needed in the entire world! I sent you to three hundred miles away from the Islands, not because you wouldn't let Riku go, because I was killing you faster than you ever could. That's why you're there!" She said, tears affecting her voice but she still sounded strong, even as she bit out. "And why I'm still here."

He heard a sniffle on the other end of the phone, and then she pulled herself together. "How did you take the news last night?" She asked.

Sora didn't answer immediately, unsure of how to answer politely, now that she displayed herself for him. It made sense that since she had opened herself to him that he should open himself to her. However difficult that may be. "I came two seconds away from swallowing an entire bottle of aspirin." He said. "I told Axel to leave, broke down, sent my brother into a panic attack, and got into a fight with Leon."

"Oh no." She moped. "Is everything okay between you and Leon?"

"He went to be and I left for work early today." Sora told her.

She sighed. "Listen, Sora. You found something worth living for, there in Hollow Bastion. Are you willing to give it up in one instant because I was too scared to tell you the truth? Would you do that to Leon? To Roxas?"

And he was deflated with that question. Kairi got off the phone not too long after that, claiming she had to go to bed for work tomorrow, even though it was only three. So, Sora just sat on the floor of the living room, having nothing to do except stare at the wall. It was true; what she had said. He had found something wonderful here. He found Leon, and a new beginning with new people, who in their own retarded way loved him. And Leon loved him. So much was made clear as crystal last night. Was he ready to throw it all away?

He slowly looked toward the stairwell, where their rooms were. And towards the kitchen. He looked around the entire apartment, or as much as he could from his place in front of the couch. He had become so used to being integrated with Leon, it was really odd trying to think of how this place had been on his first day here. Where everything had once been a seemingly harsh line, no nonsense place, seemed more at home now. There was a certain comfort to the place that hadn't been there before.

Could he leave it? Would he push everything he had worked for out the window, because of one secret, no matter how large? Could he do that?

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

Sora was tucking Roxas into bed. Aerith had brought him home around five and Leon had come home not too long after. Sora had barely said two complete sentences to Leon since he had been home, not knowing what to say or how to say it. He wasn't ready to have this conversation. He wasn't ready to have any conversation they had ever had. But he pretended like he was fine, tucking the blankets in around the skinny little arms that kept wiggling to get free.

"You can't hold be down forever!" Roxas yelled in his valiant prince voice. "I'll get you!"

Sora smiled as his brother repeated some of the lines that he had been read not moments ago. "I have you under a spell, boy! You'll sleep in no time." He crowed back to him and his brother laughed jovially.

They both sobered, and Sora finished tucking him in. Roxas freed his arms and threw them around the other's neck, pulling Sora down for a could-be bone-crushing hug. "You're not thinking about leaving again are you?" His brother asked quietly, not letting his voice get above a whisper.

Sora tensed in his arms, hugging him back hesitantly. "Damn you, and the ability to read my mind, Roxas." He murmured, sighing as Roxas' pale arms tightened around him.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

"What did you read him?"

"Sleeping Beauty."

"Good story."

"Yeah."

They were silent for a while after that. Sora busied himself cleaning off the kitchen counter and Leon sat at the table, picking at some invisible particle of nothing from the top. Sora kept trying to come up with ways to start this conversation that had been looming over him since Kairi had hung up on him.

"So, Sora…"

Whatever Leon was going to say was drown out by the phone ringing from the living room.

"I'll be right back." Sora said, wandering off to find the phone.

"'Lo?"

"Sora?"

"Hey Tifa. How'd everything go?" He asked, pulling the phone away from his ear as an ear splitting squeal.

"Oh, my god! I met the king…IN PERSON!"

He laughed.

"It took you three months, and you still hadn't figured that out."

He unconsciously meandered back towards the kitchen where Leon was still sitting. He sat down across the table from Leon, much like they had done the first time they went to Tifa's diner.

"What was he like?" Sora asked.

"He was so _nice_! I almost couldn't believe he was royalty. He was nothing like the court magician. He was so polite and ate everything on his plate." She sighed dreamily. "He was everything a chef could want."

Sora smiled, "So how did everything go? When will you know if you're getting shipped off to Light City?"

"He'll inform me in two weeks."

"Wow. Snappy snappy." He said with only a little sarcasm.

"He has to go test two other chef's and then he'll know, Sora. Give him a break."

"Well he should know there's no one better than you. You can make vegetarian food! You can to anything." Sora said, as if it were the biggest thing ever to be able to cook vegetables.

Leon snorted from his seat, and Sora looked up at him, smiling just a little. He held out his hand, feeling his heart flutter when Leon placed his own calloused hand in the smaller one, messaging little circles into his scarred wrist. Sora squeezed his hand playfully.

"Well, I just thought I would call and let you know. Don't come into work tomorrow. I got someone to take our shifts. I didn't feel like coming in and I didn't want you baby sitting again so soon."

Sora laughed and agreed. And they got off the phone, leaving Leon and Sora back to their silence, though it was more comfortable now. For the moment, at least.

"Who was on the phone?"

"Tifa. She was telling me how her appointment with the King went."

Leon looked perplexed. "Weren't you with her?"

Sora took his hand out of Leon's to rest his head on it. "No. She told me to go away lest I steal the light away from her." Sora smirked humorously.

Leon folded his hands under his chin, watching Sora intently. "What did you do for the rest of the day?"

"I watched cartoons, talked to Kairi, and ate the most strawberries anyone has ever eaten."

Leon's forehead frown momentarily before he smoothed his face over, but Sora caught it regardless. Sora sighed, folding his hands in his lap, and looking at the table. It would be best to start from the beginning. "Yesterday, after you went to bed, I came very close to swallowing an entire bottle of aspirin." He started. "I don't even know why anymore, I'm sure I had a good reason to start with, but it escapes me now." He didn't look up, but instead he got up pacing around the kitchen. "I don't know what stopped me. I think I'm losing my mind because I started hearing voices in my head. But I didn't take them obviously. I, uh, I flushed them down the drain.

"That's not saying I felt better or anything. But I think it's some sort of accomplishment. I can't be that suicidal." He leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. "When Kairi called me this afternoon I was so angry. But I was determined to find out why she would do this to me. Why she would ruin my life like this. And it's funny cause she said she was afraid I would ruin my life by myself." He paused, staring at the linoleum floor. "I find that most ironic. She was only trying to save me but only wound up killing me in her own way.

"After she told me that she said something I had known all along but it was still so odd to hear it from someone like her. She said, 'you found something worth living for in Hollow Bastion. Are you willing to give it up?'" He stopped talking, letting the conversation with Kairi finally sink all the way into his mind, while the conversation he was having now sunk into Leon's.

"Are you?"

Sora looked him in the eye. "No." He smiled relieved. "I never thought I would be able to say that, but no, I'm not ready to give it up. I'm not ready to on this happy feeling I've slowly been getting. And I'm not ready to give you up. I'm just not." He pushed himself off of the counter and slowly walked over to Leon. He sat down on his lap, feeling relief wash over him when Leon wrapped his arms around his waist. Sora rested his hands gently on Leon's shoulders, leaning down to kiss him.

"_I'm not the reason you stopped to listen to me."_

"Take me to the bedroom." Sora whispered against his lips, smiling widely when Leon stood up instantly.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

A timid knocking woke him up from his pillow on Leon's chest. He groaned, snuggling his face into the broad chest under him.

"Who is at the door this early." Leon said, wiggling as if to answer the door.

Sora protested, grabbing onto Leon to keep him in place. "Shh!" He demanded. "If we ignore it maybe it'll go away."

Leon chuckled, and smoothed Sora's gravity defiant hair. "I don't think we're that lucky." He sighed. Chuckling lightly when the knock came again.

Sora groaned again. "Yeah, Roxas. Give me a minute." He stumbled out of the bed searching for his pajama bottoms. Leon went to the bathroom, doing his ritual of brushing his hair and teeth. Sora went to the door running his eyes and blinking rapidly to adjust to the light. He opened the door. "Yeah, bub. What do you want?" He grumbled closing the door and stepping out into the hall.

Roxas looked up at him and said, "There's a strange girl at the door asking to talk to you."

Sora snapped awake and turned to his brother. "You didn't let her in did you? You didn't open the door?"

"No! I don't recognize her." Roxas said indignantly.

Sora walked downstairs quickly, moving to the peephole in the door. "Who's there?" He asked the blonde haired woman, who, if truth be told, looked a little like an ant with her bangs styled the way they were.

"My name's Larxene. I'm a friend of Axel's!" She yelled through the door. "Can I come in?"

Sora instantly undid the door locks and let her in. "Why are you here?" He asked confusedly.

"Axel's been acting funny for the last two days. I finally got him to tell me what happened, and I wanted to come down here and tell you that he feels terrible for what he put you through. And had he known he would have told you. And I'm sure he would tell you but he's drunk out of his mind. More drunk than he had ever been in the entire time I've known him." She finally took a deep breath, pausing to read his face. "He's creeping me out with all the ways he's been acting. He won't come out of his room. I've tried everything, _everything_, it just won't work. And I wondered if you would talk to him and tell him it was okay? It is okay isn't it? You don't hate him do you? Cause I think as long as you don't hate him he'll stop whimpering."

Sora had barely followed what she had said but he nodded anyway. He ran upstairs to throw a shirt on and tell Leon where he was going, and to watch Roxas. Then he dashed downstairs and followed Larxene to her beat up vehicle. When they arrived to the hotel that Axel was still staying at they ran inside and up the stairs to the second floor to room 298.

"Axel?" Larxene asked, knocking on the door loudly.

"goway!" Was the intelligible response the received.

"Axel come on. Let me in."

"How long have you been doing this?" Sora asked.

"How long have you been mad at him?" She countered, knocking on the door again. "I feel like a wife in the doghouse. The neighbors have even stopped coming out to see what's going on." She knocked again. "Axel?"

"leavemelone!" He whined.

"Hold on." He moved her away from the door, pressing his ear to the thin metal. He heard some shuffling and some clinking. Axel was cleaning. He giggled. "You done trying to impress her in there? She's obviously seen you drunk, she knows what your place looks like dirty."

Larxene scoffed indignantly and Axels stopped all movement inside the room. Then came the sarcastic, if not just a little slurred. "Some of us like to give a surprise every once and a while." He sniped.

"So everything's okay in there?" Sora asked.

"Yeah. I stopped drinking around four." Sora heard him come closer to the door. "I took a nap and I have a killer hangover, but I think I feel better than I did when I was drunk."

Sora laughed. "Will you let us in then? This Larxene girl looks ready to murder." He looked back at her and smirked when he saw her red face.

"Are you still mad at me?" He heard Axel ask, with more than a little pout in his voice.

He forced a smile on his face. "No. You know I could never stay mad at you. You're like a my older brother…and younger brother all at the same time."

He heard the locks being unlocked and he stepped away from the door next to Larxene, who actually did look murderous now. When the door opened he motion for her to go in first. Axel took her into a bone-crushing hug, kissing her cheek, before she punched his shoulder. And then did the same to Sora, holding onto him and murmuring apologies into his ear. Sora patted his back and told him it was okay.

And it really was.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

Sora got home about an hour later, having helped clean Axel's room, and gotten several death threats from Larxene. Axel had finally decided it was time to start looking for his own place to stay, and a job, he supposed, though he was awfully dejected about the entire idea. Larxene told him about a factory downtown that specialized in welding, and he promised her he would put in his application.

When he walked into the apartment after Larxene had given him a ride home, the first thing he noticed was the comforting noise of Roxas' cartoons and when he finally entered the living room he quickly looked at Leon, who had a guilty look on his face.

He looked back at his brother, who had yet to notice he was home he was so engrossed in his cartoons and the entire pan of macaroni and cheese that was set in front of him along with the stirring spoon used to cook the noodles.

"He wanted noodles." Leon said helplessly.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

A/N: Haha! That was fun to write! I like this chapter a lot. You finally figure out what the heck was up with just about everything and yay! I love this chapter! I hope you do too! It was actually a lot less dramatic than I planned it to be. There was going to be a lot more crying and a lot more angst and the scene with the bathroom was going to have a lot of sadness and Leon banging on the door to get Sora out…but I was like…Sora wouldn't get sad, I mean he would, but he'd be hella pissed. So pissed he became and I like it a lot better.

Tell me how you liked it when you review.

InnocentGuilt 


	10. Little Hospital Room

A/N: I think this one will be short. So, I'm sorry. But it's just needed.

Reviewers:

Heee, how I love ya'll.

SAW: Hehe. I liked the end too, mainly because I got in trouble for doing that to my little cousin. I thought it'd be fun to get someone else in trouble for it too.

Venksie-Poo: I know. I would've gone into detail…but I didn't feel like it. The idea of them sleeping together was good enough for me that day. That and I really didn't feel like moving it up to 'M'. So I skimped, cause that's what I do. Lol I hope you like this next chapter.

Ichi-desu: I'm sorry I suck a grammar. But I'm happy you liked my Sora forgiving Axel scene. I thought it sucked…I think everything sucks when it comes to my story. And I'm sorry I didn't let you read this through, but I want to get done before Christmas and I remember you telling me you probably wouldn't be able to edit this until the 18th. I'm sorry. Don't flog me! **Cries**

GhostInTheDark: It figures you would like the spirit Riku thing the best. You're funny like that. I'm glad it wasn't crappy though. I was super afraid of it being gay. Thanks!

Miss Vix: Yeah…I can't just say, "Hey this is what's wrong with them. There you go" I have to have this entire he heard him say something about when he remembered she said this to him type thing going on. So yea. I'm reediting the entire story about two or three months after finish it so it'll be prettier and more cohesive. I love cohesiveness. Because I know it's suck right now. Lol

Steven Kodaly: I know!!!!!! **cries some more** I suck and grammar and tenses. I can't help it. I'm retarded. Anyway moving on! Believe it or not…There's close to no more angst for Sora…there's closing down the story and getting it ready for renovation but no more 'Ohmigod,' heart wrenching pain angst. Yay? I'm really sorry I'm dumb in grammar. I hope you can over look it. I looked over this chapter super hard. **grins cheesily**

Padfoot: Hey there! Don't worry about not reviewing. You let me know I'm loved every once and a while that's good enough for me. As long as I get at least three reviews a chapter I'll post…But I must admit, I love getting eight or nine reviews a chapter.

Anyway! Here the chapter!

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

"Aerith, sit." Cloud commanded lightly, not looking up from his position of his head in his hands.

"I can't." She replied helplessly, turning to make another round in front of the blank TV. They had been trying to watch it earlier but after the fifty-first pace, they had given up.

They were at the hospital in Traverse Town. Naminé had finally gone in for surgery, after what seemed like eternity. Now all they could do was wait in the uncomfortable waiting room that only came with three couches and a TV. It wasn't so bad, but her parents could barely breathe and it was rubbing off on the rest of the group.

Sora rubbed Leon's arm, half calmingly, half lovingly. "Explain this disease to me again?" He asked quietly, glancing at his little brother who had fallen asleep next to Tifa on the couch to their left, and then looking over to the right where Cloud was sitting and watching his fiancé pace to center of the room.

Leon leaned closer to him, continuing their whispered conversation so no one could hear them. "Basically, her immune system collapsed, and instead of sending out white blood cells to help her body, the body is just trying to work by itself, with the collapsed immune system and all. If left on it's own long enough the body will contract so many viruses and syndromes that the entire body will eventually just start deteriorating." He kissed Sora's temple quickly. "The first signs of the disease are usually a rough, and continuous cough. It's how we knew Naminé had it at first."

"What do they have to do to get her okay again?"

"Basically, they have to shock the pancreas into stimulating more white blood cells. (A/N: I am the queen of bullshit) Once that's done, they'll have to watch her for a few hours see if the white blood cells start attacking the diseases."

"Won't that take weeks to see the effects?" Sora asked.

"No." Leon said. "Once the shock hits the dormant white blood cells, they'll be super charged, basically. The one woman I've seen who had this surgery was never sick again in the ten years she lived after the operation. It'll only take about a day and a half."

"Wow." Sora said quietly. "I hope it works on Namey."

After that, they settled into a semi-comfortable silence. Roxas slept the entire time, seeming comfortable in the fact that his best friend, as he would announce to the world, would be fine. Aerith continued to pace, and Cloud just held his head.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

"Mr. Strife? Ms. Gainsborough-Leonhart?"

Aerith jumped to her feet the moment she saw the doctor enter the room. "How is she?"

"Calm down." The doctor said kindly. "At first, I will admit, we were very afraid that it might not work. Her white blood cells were very slow to respond to the volt, but after an hour her immune system was kicking at everything that had built up."

Aerith clutched her chest with one hand, and Cloud's shoulder with the other. "That's wonderful." She breathed. She was smiling; all the while tears of pure joy pouring down her cheeks. Cloud stood and picked her up, hugging her tightly, and twirling her around.

"That's great news!" Cloud yelled, firmly waking Roxas from his nap.

"You're lucky you brought her in when you did. Another month or two and her immune system would have been so dead and infested with viruses she may have just died while eating breakfast. Some of the diseases were so complex I don't even think they've all been categorized. I'm very impressed with her will to survive, because I know very well that I couldn't have." The doctor continued. "But now she's fine. She's even bordering perfect." The doctor joked.

"Can-Can we see her?" Aerith said around her tears. "Is she awake?"

"Yeah, but only one at a time, she's still rather out of it." He said waving for one of them to follow him.

Aerith turned to Cloud. "You go first. She'll want to see you."

"Are you sure?" Cloud asked, wiping away her tears.

"Yeah." Aerith said in an assuring voice.

He nodded. "Okay. I'll come get you when I'm done."

He left, following the doctor out of their sight. That left Aerith with the rest of them, her sniffling the only noise in the room until Roxas so intelligently asked, "What's going on?"

Everyone could only laugh at Roxas' more than apparent blonde moment.

Aerith wiped tears of mirth away from her lashes. "Oh Roxas. Roxas come here. Come sit with me." She said, opening her arms wide for him to join her. Roxas smiled and hopped off of the couch, to go sit next to his 'adopted aunt' as he had grown fond of calling her.

Sora sat with Leon on their claimed couch, rubbing his back soothing since he had slumped against the little brunette when the news was announced. Sora kissed his hair, telling him that everything was okay, and that his family was completely safe.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

"How is she?" Sora asked, as Cloud and Aerith traded spots.

He had come in with his head down, his blond locks looking a little down. He kissed his fiancé gently on the cheek, watching her as she practically ran down the hall to the elevator that would take her to Naminé's room.

When Sora asked the question he was nearly shocked, not used to Sora being so eager to know about his daughter. But he supposed since his brother had gotten closer to Naminé, that he would have too. Thinking of Roxas, he looked over to the child, and saw him no longer by the unusually silent Tifa, but now on his own, close to where Aerith had sat

He looked around the room, trying to find a way to answer the question without getting attacked with pity, and scrutinizing every aspect. It was too plain; he silently came to the conclusion. The white walls were too bright; the tile floor was too clean, and the couches too hard. It was a decision he had made within seconds of entering but he really began to notice it after his visit with his daughter, when she told him she hated the beds. Now he only wanted to take her home and have her rest on her own bed.

He sighed and sat next to Roxas, and gave the kid a noogie to end all. Roxas didn't really do anything; he only pushed his hand away and tried to flatten his, much like his brother's, gravity resistant hair. Sora held his hands out absently, and Cloud chuckled inwardly as Roxas got up without thought and ran to sit with his brother and Leon.

Cloud finally roused up the gumption to answer, sighing heavily as he stretched and leaned back on the too hard couch. "She wanted to talk to her mom." He said, more than a little confused. Naminé had always known her mother was dead; she had died before Naminé had really ever had enough presence of mind for memory. Cloud wanted to blame the drugs they had injected into her blood system, but she was completely fine except for that one slip up.

Leon glanced at his from his resting place, muck like Cloud's; he was sprawled out just the same. Cloud shook his head, as if to tell Leon it was fine. "I told her that she had gone away quite a long time ago." He cleared. "She said she knew that her mother was gone. She still wanted to see "mommy"!" He said his voice, raising an octave or two to imitate his daughter's young voice.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

"Mommy is coming now. You don't have to stay with me anymore." Naminé said the male nurse, Lyeric (1), who had been keeping her company. He smiled at her ashen face; the drugs had yet to fully wear off (A/N: From my experience faces tend to get pasty when they are heavily drugged, or coming of being heavily drugged.), and then left the room, standing at the door until he could see the brunette coming down the hall from the elevator.

Aerith stepped into the room, smiling her big smile. "Hey, Mina." She breathed relieved, using her favorite nickname for her child.

Naminé smiled back. "Hi, mommy."

Aerith halted immediately, not knowing what to do. Naminé had always known that Aerith wasn't her actual mother. It was why Naminé had never called her mother or a pet name thereof. She sighed, feeling pain thump in her heart, feeling somehow she would never be good enough to be the young girl's mother. Shaking her head, she smiled again at the young blonde. "How are you feeling?" She asked, setting next to the hospital bed, and stroking Naminé's pale hand.

"The same." She answered honestly. "But the doctor said it would take a day or two to feel the effects."

Aerith nodded. "Has everyone been nice to you?"

She nodded as best she could in her rapidly growing exhausted state. "The man who was with me gave me some chocolate."

"That was nice of him." Aerith smiled.

"He said it was for being so brave." She reached over, moving a few of the wires that were in her veins with her, and she grabbed the candy bar. "Keep it." She said. "I'll eat it when I get out of here."

Aerith took it; still feeling the waves of tears over come her. "That'll be real soon, huh, baby?"

Naminé nodded. Her head kept nodding off, as her eyes kept drooping. Aerith smiled and kissed her forehead. She stood making ready to leave. "I'll be back in just a little bit." She told her.

She shook her head 'no'. "Wait, just a second." She mumbled sleepily. "I know why you won't marry daddy yet." She said, and Aerith sat back down, entranced by her sudden admission. "I know you thought that if you did, and something happened to me, that he would push you away. I know you were afraid that he would blame you." She held her hand open for Aerith to grab. "I know you didn't want me to feel like I wasn't there." She took a deep breath. "But I'm better now. The doctor said I was going to be all better. And since he said that…" She paused, forcing herself to open her eyes. "Since I was better, I wanted to ask if you would marry daddy now."

Aerith sat in her chair, shocked speechless. She clasped the small hand in hers, not daring to meet the bright blue-violet eyes above.

"Please, mommy."

Aerith snapped her head up to Naminé, searching her face as she realized that Naminé had been calling her mommy, not mistaking her for a ghost. Naminé smiled at her, and Aerith felt joy course through her veins as she nodded. "Yeah, baby." She said quietly, a small smiled gracing her features.

She smiled. "Good." She said. "I want to wear blue." She looked around the blindingly white room. "I'm tired of white."

Aerith laughed, and kissed the top of her head. "Okay, honey. Whatever you like."

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

Tifa stood up quietly. She had barely said anything the entire time they had all been sitting there. While Roxas was asleep next to her she hadn't moved at all, and since then she had only been up to walk around the room. Cloud had noticed, but was too ecstatic (even if it was only on the inside) to question her. Leon had noticed, but he really didn't want to bring it up in a hospital. Of course, Sora had noticed. Working with Tifa for so long had given him sensors to her moods and emotions.

They all watched as she left the small family waiting room. But, whereas the other two were wrapped up or just too polite, Sora had no sense of this when it came to Tifa. And he followed her out, making sure that Roxas wasn't going to wake up again when he stood. Once he was sure that Roxas was practically dead to the world, resting against Leon, he followed his friend out.

"What's up?" He asked once he had closed the door firmly behind him.

Tifa let out a breathy laugh. "Nothing." She said quickly. "Nothing at all. Why?"

Sora smiled. "You're a terrible liar." He said going to stand by Tifa.

She scrunched her nose. "You suddenly sound like my mother." She whined.

"That's nice." He said flippantly. "What going on? Is it something to do with the restaurant?"

Tifa grimaced. "I'll tell you about it later. Just let me alone for a moment or two."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." She nodded vigorously. He waited around for a moment or two, somehow sensing that she really didn't want him to go. "The king called me last week." She started slowly. She looked up at him, with nervous eyes. "He liked my diner…a lot. He was very impressed with the food even…"

Sora frowned, feeling butterflies in his stomach. "But?"

"No, but. He wants me to do the reception dinner for his daughters' weddings." She smiled happily, even though her eyes were still very nervous.

Sora didn't buy it. "That what's the problem?"

Tifa looked down at her hands. "He also said that he wants me to move to the kingdom and be his chef." She said. "He loved my food so much…He's willing to pay me double what I'm getting here."

Sora felt his stomach plummet. _'Oh no. No more Tifa.'_ He smiled regardless. "But that's great!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah. It is, but I'm not sure I'm ready to leave when things are just starting to look so good for everyone." She gasped. "I'd be like the bearer of bad news. Yeah you're lives are finally coming together, I'm leaving now." A few tears spilled down her cheeks. "I don't want to go, I don't want to leave all of this. Everyone here's practically become my family."

Sora sighed, and put his arm around her shoulder comfortingly. "Tifa…are you leaving and never coming back?"

"No." She croaked. "I can still come back for Christmas, and a few birthdays. I'd have a month in summer off."

"Would you have to close the restaurant in town down?"

"NO! I asked him that and he told me that it would be like having a chain." She smiled.

"Would you never call?"

"I'd call as often as possible." She told him eagerly.

He smiled kindly. "Then why are you even worrying?"

She almost answered, her mouth opened as if she was going to rattle off every problem with going away. But instead she smiled. "Thanks for that." She nodded, wiping her eyes. "I really needed that."

Sora smiled and nodded; happy he could help someone again. "No problem" he said. "Come on." He instructed heading back for the room.

Just then, Tifa grabbed his arm. "If I did go…_when_ I do go," She amended. "Can I leave the restaurant to you and Leon?" She asked quietly, gazing into Sora's eyes for all she was worth. "I don't trust anyone else as much as I honestly trust the two of you."

Sora thought for a moment, thinking of all the pros and cons of the situation he would be getting himself into. Then he nodded. "I'm sure we could handle that."

They both went into the room, Sora returning to his original seat next to Roxas and Leon, and Tifa returned to her couch. Only moments later Aerith ran in screaming something about being called 'mommy' and a marriage. Everyone didn't know what to say to the ecstatic brunette, except Cloud, who nodded and smiled, confusedly, yet still somewhat contentedly.

Everyone was completely happy.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

A/N: I told you it would be short-ish, but it was needed. Not only because I needed to get Naminé unsick, but also because I didn't want Tifa leaving to be a complete 'Woah, buddy!' Anyway this was the last real chapter. The next chapter will be and epilogue. It will be considerably longer than this because there's a lot to do in my little epilogue.

Anyway.

I'm going to name my little boy Lyeric…when I have a boy…hell, just when I have children. It's pronounced, "Lie-rick" I love it. Mmmm. It's happy

I finally did get a beta, but she said she probably wouldn't be able to edit this until the 18th of December, which would be fine, but the idea of me getting this story all dome before Christmas is orgasmic. So, ichi-desu, I'm sorry I couldn't wait, but the thought of getting this done before the year was out was just too good. Any way I went over this one super hard and if there are any mistakes, it's because I'm an English retard. I have completed step number one; I admitted it.

Anywho, I hope you liked despite the nasty shortness. And I hope to hear from you all in my reviews.

InnocentGuilt 


	11. Epilogue

A/N: Hello kiddies! Well this is it! The final installment of Easter is a Pagan Holiday. Thank you so much for sticking with me. I enjoyed writing this a lot and I'm glad you all enjoyed reading it.

To my sweet wonderful reviewers, I mean all of you and not just the one who reviewed for chapter ten, Thank you and I love you all. All of your funny reviews made it worth writing this.

Ichi-desu: I'm sorry I'd make it longer….but it'd be crap! I love ya and thanks for stickin' round.

GhostInTheDark: I'm sorry I'm ending it! Look above. Lol.

Steven Kodaly: You're always interrogating me…and I never answer. I'm a horrible person. Lol. I hope this answers your questions.

Dark-Hopeless-Romantic: I'd kick my friend in the shin. Of course I don't like my friends…jk. Lol.

SAW: Hi. I didn't rush. But I did get it up super fast for me. This stories impending doom has kicked me into gear. I hope you like it.

Thank you to Ichi-desu, my newfound slaveImean…beta. You honestly don't sound like a bitch, but you know, you're beta-ing my story so I love ya!

Anyways, here's the epilogue.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

Cloud and Aerith decided to hold the wedding in early December, when there was a frosty beauty to everything in Hollow Bastion. So, a year and a half after Naminé's operation, the biggest, most beautiful church was decorated in lights, and had lilac-blue accents held up on corners and pews, with little silver holly hanging on long ropes from the cathedral style ceiling.

Naminé had been the flower girl, walking down the isle in her pale blue dress. Tifa, who had flown from the kingdom, with even a gift from the king in her bag paying in full for their honeymoon to anywhere in the world and care for their daughter, came down next in a violet with silver accented dressThen Yuffie, who had finally come back from country hopping, and was now living with Sora and Leon, came down, her dress only lilac with violet accents, still a little big from her baby fat, and then Aerith, in her long flowing dress, holding just one small white tulip to stand by Cloud. Roxas was last, bearing the rings and trying to shake his head without anyone noticing him to try and get his hair to its rightful place. Cid didn't come to the wedding.

Sora smiled, holding Yuffie's small nearly year-old girl, Rumor, in his lap. He smiled and waved indiscreetly to Leon, Cloud's best man. He nodded back, almost unnoticeably and had Sora not been watching for it, he'd have never seen it. He bounced Rumor gently, keeping her entertained until the ceremony was finished, which he hoped was soon, because the moment Rumor wasn't happy the entire church filled with people would know. Sora passed the bright blue-eyed girl to Vincent Valentine (1), Yuffie's boyfriend of seven months, who had moved the Hollow Bastion when he had found his old friend, Cloud. He often didn't know what to do with Rumor, but Sora had to give him points; he tried his damndest with her.

Vincent Valentine was a good man, despite his oddities. His first one being he was allergic to sunlight. His house was basically a square box and he slept during the day. Not only this exceedingly odd quality, but he also had a mechanical hand on his left arm. No one really knew what happened to him, not even Yuffie. Cloud had the vaguest of ideas, but both he and Vincent were tight lipped about the subject. But most of all, Sora was pretty sure he didn't know how to show emotion, not like Leon and Cloud, who just didn't. He was pretty sure Vincent was uncomfortable with the entire idea of emotions.

Vincent set the little girl on his lap, rubbing back with hid right hand.

The wedding was closing, signaled when the preacher asked, "The rings?" Roxas stepped forward and gave them the rings like he had been rehearsed to do. When the vows were said and the rings were slipped on the preacher announced the entire church. "I now pronounce these two, after many years of praying, a few long nights of discussion of the subject, one car wreck, and a daughter's operation of waiting, man and wife." Aerith and Cloud both smiled, as he wrapped his hand around her waist, and pulled her to him, her hands resting gently on his chest, and they finally kissed. The entire church burst into applause, completely upsetting Rumor who had to be taken out of the room immediately by Vincent.

Sora stood up, clapping and whistling as the newlyweds ran down the isle. He checked his watch quickly, noticing that it was about seven-thirty pm. The reception would start at Unc's in half an hour.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

He went out to his and Leon's vehicle, stopping only to get Rumor from Vincent. Roxas would go with Leon and Yuffie. He unlocked the doors of the, otherwise, closed diner. He turned on all the lights, putting Rumor in a small roll around chair he kept there for her, and put up some more decorations that he and Leon hadn't quite had time for. Usually Unc's would be loaded with people by now, but he had shut it down for the reception tonight.

Leon had agreed to help him with the diner when Tifa had told everyone she was leaving two days after Naminé got out of the hospital. It had been hard at first but Sora had hired an assortment of managers that made it easy for him to work a regular day shift and he could trust them to work a nightshift. It was stressful at times, and Leon wasn't always helpful, but it always worked out in the end and Sora wouldn't have it any other way.

Rumor squealed in delight bouncing in her chair.

"What? You want mommy?" He cooed at her, putting the last of the silver dove centerpieces on the table. "She'll be here in a few minutes. Just you wait." He said to the little girl.

Yuffie had come back in her six month of pregnancy, and after being yelled at for being so careless as to travel while pregnant (She still didn't get the big deal; it was a freaking train!), she had agreed to live with Leon and Sora. They had only been home for a minute before she had immediately told them everything ever! Like she had only been waiting to get home to spill every secret she ever held. She told them she left the day after she found out she was pregnant, and that it was Cid's child, though he would never know that if anyone had any say in it. When they asked why she had decided to leave Cid without a word she answered in a shaky voice, "Because I'm fine with Easter being the revival of Christ." Leon didn't get it, but Sora did. She told them that she stayed away for so long to understand herself, to know whether or not she was ready to be mommy dearest, to realize she was fine by herself. Rumor had been born three months later, and Sora had been named as her godfather.

Rumor was one of his newfound delights in the world as well as Yuffie and Leon's safeguard. When Sora was upset or angry Rumor would suddenly start crying, or she would giggle. It would suddenly deflate Sora long enough for the others to escape off without harm.

He picked his godchild up from her bouncy chair, looking over his handy work. The deep purple he and Tifa had picked out all those months ago had played right into the colour scheme. The tables were covered with royal purple, and over that was a lilac lace clothe. The centerpieces were silver doves, set in bouquets of an assortment of light blue and purple flowers. Above them, several opal-like globes filled with candles were settles, creating a look of bubbles all over the restaurant.

"You like that?" He asked her. She made some odd unintelligible noise that he took for a yes. "Good."

Leon showed up a few minutes before the crowd, Roxas and Yuffie in tow. Then _everyone_ was there, fumbling over each other to get in from the cold weather.

Axel and Larxene, who, to everyone's surprise, had made it through, arrived. Axel had finally applied for that job on the outside of town, and bought a house close to the factory. The divorce had been finalized four months after, Axel not having anything to fight over, and Kairi just wanting to get it over with quickly. Larxene had moved in with Axel just two months before today's wedding. Sora laughed at the two of them. Larxene, as usual, upset at something Axel had said, and punching him viciously. Their relationship was odd, they were so abusive to each other, but it was in a very loving way. Even Yuffie would lean back everyone once and a while and agree that the two just weren't right. But they were happy, and silently Axel had kind of been thinking about asking her to marry him. Sora would make great squeals of delight every time Axel said this, and tell him that they made a cute love story. Sora's life had recently been under severe threats from the red haired man.

Tifa came in next still alone but happy nonetheless. She had made a huge splash in the Kingdom and now had two more stores in Twilight Town, and, surprisingly enough, Destiny Islands, and was now one of Kairi's favorite places to eat. But none of them were as successful as the original.

An entire rush of people came in after that, before finally Cloud and Aerith arrived, Naminé bouncing in behind them. The entire building cheered again as they took a bow.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

Mingling began soon after the bride and groom arrive, seemingly okay now that the stars of the party had arrived. Sora ran around all over the place, making sure everyone was okay; everyone was enjoying the refreshments and dinners that he had slaved over by making his head chef cook. Tifa laughed at him and told him it was his friends wedding and that if someone had a problem they wouldn't dare be vocal about it today. Leon had agreed and made him sit down at the table with him, Aerith, Cloud and the rest of their circle.

"So what's next on your agenda?" Yuffie asked jubilantly.

Aerith and Cloud both shared a look of bliss and said, "Sleep!" There was a small round of chuckles around the table. "Then Christmas, a cruise maybe, and then who knows…?" Aerith said. "There has been a small discussion of more children. Maybe one or two. I think Mina would like that."

"More children," Yuffie made a face and looked over her shoulder to where she could see Vincent doing magic tricks for Rumor, Naminé, and Roxas. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt." She agreed, with a slight smile.

"I vote me godfather!" Sora said, waving his hand in the air madly.

Leon rolled his eyes. "Between the two of us Sora, if the three of them decide to participate in group keeling-over, we're going to need to buy another apartment complex for children."

Sora patted his hand. "Hope they don't decide to participate in group keeling-over." He said sympathetically.

&$&$&$&$&$&

The night went on, and was over quickly. Midnight strolled around far faster than any of them realized, the children had all passed out in the private rooms, and Rumor was clinging angrily to Yuffie. Aerith finally gathered all the girls, though they had to wake Naminé to do so, and threw the bouquet. There was a slight scuffle, which all the guys laughed at, but in the end Yuffie had come out with the bushel of flowers, glancing sheepishly at Vincent who was even paler than normal, looking much like a deer caught in the headlights.

Aerith and Cloud ran for the getaway car, Naminé right behind them. The entire congregation followed after them excitedly, yelling well wishes, and good hopes. Sora and Leon stayed in the back, along with Vincent who honestly didn't do the group-time thing, packing up a few things before they left. They gathered up all of Rumor and Roxas' things that they had left around and stashing a few precious goods that people had left behind in a box behind the counter. Leon went to the private section, picking up Roxas from his place on the table.

Yuffie came back, her ride being with any of the three men that had stayed inside the warm building. She went to Sora's office, where he kept a crib for Rumor and picked her up, resting her over her shoulder. "Are we almost ready to go?" She asked, bouncing Rumor lightly.

"Yeah, I'll take the decorations down tomorrow." Sora said. "Are you still coming in with me?" He asked her.

Yuffie smiled and nodded, "Yeah."

Yuffie didn't exactly work for them, but she did things around both the complex and the diner. They told her she didn't have to but she always smiled and said, "Might as well slave away. After all you let me and Rumor stay with you guys for free." Soshe mostly came to work with Sora, the two of them having grown closer over the time she had lived with them, which was why Sora had a crib in his office.

"Okay, we'll have to go in early." He warned grabbing the bag of decorations he had already disassembled.

She nodded, picking up the centerpiece she had decided to keep. Leon came out with Roxas clinging to his neck. "You need a ride home Vincent?"

He shook his head. "No, I'll walk."

"Come on, Vinnie." She said using her pet name only she could get away with. "I'll ride with you." She said.

"Do you want to take Rumor? I've got her car seat."

"Would you mind taking her Sora? I don't have to move the car seat twice."

"Yeah, hand her here." Sora said.

Yuffie kissed the side of her daughter's head. She handed her over to Sora, and he made for 'his' car, Leon behind him to strap Roxas in for him, while Yuffie and Vincent went to wait in Leon's car. Leon set Roxas gently in the car, buckling him into the front seat, while Sora set Rumor in the back seat.

They met at the front of the car. "Love you." Leon said, pressing a quick kiss to Sora's lips.

"Love you too." He replied, mirroring Leon and kissing his lips just as quickly. "See you at home."

He smirked and nodded, moving off a few feet away to where he had parked. Sora got into his own vehicle, checking on the passengers briefly and then starting the car. The drive home was much quicker with a car to drive him, and he was actually there within ten minutes now instead of an hour, or half an hour if he were on foot.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

He pulled into the driveway, waking up his little brother gently, telling him they were home, before opening the door to go fish out the younger of the two children with him.

Once the girl was out of the car he turned around to face his home.

He didn't live in the apartment complex anymore. Not a month after Sora had been told about Riku, Leon had come up to him with a proposition. If Sora agreed to let Leon buy them a house, Leon would hire movers so they wouldn't have to do anything. Sora had laughed so hard he cried.

"Some choice there," he had gasped out after fits of laughter.

"Well, yeah, I don't want you to say no."

"Why?"

"Because I kinda already bought it."

"Y-You did what?" Sora had stuttered.

"Well, an apartment really isn't fitting for Roxas, is it?"

"And…a-and,"

"And I want you to stay with me." Leon had said quietly. "Forever, if I can possibly get away with it."

Sora had been so shocked he had barely known what to do, andfor a few moments he had only gaped at Leon with wide eyes. It was only when Leon had made to take the entire thing back that Sora had unthinkingly blurted. "When can I see it?"

It was a nice. Two stories, four bedroom, two and a half baths, and it sat on an acre of land. It was perfect for the weird little family that they had. Leon and Sora had a room on the second floor with Roxas and the guest bed where Naminé stayed in when she stayed the night, and Yuffie had the downstairs bedroom, which was nice when Yuffie brought Vincent home. They were rough, and it was just not something to go to bed to, or wake to. Rumor slept in the living room where they played music for her so she wouldn't wake every ten minutes.

"Roxas? Come here." He told his sleep-ridden brother who was toddling off to lawn, the first available flat surface, to go lay down. Roxas did a 360-degree turn and stumbled back over to Sora and took his hand, letting Sora lead him as they went inside. He let Roxas stumble up the stairs by himself, assured that he could find his way to his own bed. He then went to the living room and turned the radio to a station that was playing Christmas carols, and laid Rumor down in her crib, pulling her blanket over her shoulders and rubbing her black curls away from her face.

"I'm really glad Yuffie didn't tell Cid about you." He told her quietly, thinking not for the first time about the hell Cid would have gone through to keep her away from Yuffie and everyone she was associated with. She sighed in her sleep, throwing her arm over her eyes and twisting her little body into an 's' shape.

He smiled, taking off his over coat and rolling up his sleeves to his dress shirt. He then wandered into the kitchen to pour some eggnog and rum, feeling more than festive, after the wedding had died down.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

"Hey, Sora?" A small voice asked from the door way five minutes after he had lain Rumor down for bed.

He set his glass down, turning to see Roxas in the doorway, "Yeah?"

"Come read me a story."

He nodded, taking his brother's hand even though he honestly really didn't need to anymore; it just made them both feel a little bit better. Roxas picked out a chapter book; Carry on, Mr. Bowditch (2). And Sora read the first chapter to him, deciding to make this a chapter by night book, and then snapping it shut. Roxas snuggled further into his blankets, his room being a little colder than he liked it.

"You want me to get you another blanket?" He asked.

The blonde nodded, and Sora left the room, coming back just moments later with one of the blankets Leon had collected. He tucked the blanket in on top of his other one, tucking it in so Roxas got as much warmth as possible.

"Sora, how'd you get those scars?" Roxas asked, wiggling his arm free to trace one of the scars on his arms.

Sora's face darkened, as he tugged his sleeve's down. He usually wore long sleeved shirts everywhere, more than ashamed of what he had done to himself a year ago. Even in summer he had taken to wearing Leon's long sleeved shirts around the house, and at work he always wore his blazer. He frowned. "Don't worry about it Roxas." He said stroking Roxas' hair back and re-tucking his arm in.

He persisted. "What are they?" He asked, fighting off the sleep that was creeping over him.

Sora glared mildly at Roxas, "Reasons to live." He replied, surprising himself with how apposite that was of the truth.

Roxas however was just fine with it, and asked. "Which one am I?" He yawned.

Sora snorted at the idea that Roxas had bought that load of bull, but he smiled regardless. "All of them."

Roxas looked at his now covered arm. "Well then which one is Leon?"

Sora lifted his sleeve a little, exposing one of his longer, deeper scars. "That one, but the rest are you."

"Kay." He said, the day finally wearing on his tired mind. "Night, Sora."

Sora stood up and left the room, turning the light off, and then exiting into the hall. He took a step off the first stair, turning to look at all the pictures they had hung on the light beige walls.

The most recent picture was at the top, one of the largest ones in the house. It was of the entire group, right after Rumor had been born, and the entire group had gathered into a small park and had a professional take a picture of them all. Of course this was before Vincent had moved there so he wasn't in the picture, and Yuffie and Sora were talking seriously of amending this. As he went further down the stairs he had school pictures of Roxas that he had collected over the last five years. A few of Naminé's were mixed in as well. He turned into the living room, feeling a wave of nostalgia wash over him, and he felt the need to look over all of the pictures Sora had been sent from Kairi, that he had taken, and that Leon had kept and collected over the years. He smiled at all of them running over his favorite snapshots of Yuffie with Rumor, or just Rumor being a goober.

He finally stopped at the entertainment center, to his second most favorite picture he had. It was one of Riku; Kairi had found it in one of the boxes that had been in her spare room. It happened to be one of Sora's all time favorites. It had Riku smirking and flipping off the camera. He had always hated pictures.

Sora unconsciously grasped the gold ring that now hung from a chain around his neck, his ring finger having been occupied with another ring. A cold, silver ring that was designed to look like Celtic braiding. It was the ring that Leon had bought them after they had been together for a year.

Then, he looked up to his favorite picture in the world. The one he had snapped while Leon was giving Roxas a piggyback ride. They were both smiling, but neither was looking at the camera. Roxas was watching Leon's face and Leon was looking ahead of him. Sora had taken it about three weeks after they had moved into the house, and they had been playing in the back yard. Those two had really grown close, almost as close as Roxas and Sora naturally were.

Sora smiled, wandering back to his kitchen where his spiked eggnog was waiting for him to come back. So he grabbed his cup, sporadically deciding to finish Leon's Christmas present. He pulled out his old journal, and opened it, grabbing another journal, newer, and not as carelessly tossed around. Only four more poems to go and a few more he had collected and it would be finished. Though before he could actually start, he heard Leon's vehicle pull up, and he had to scramble to hide the books from him.

He downed the last of his eggnog, and stood up to greet everyone home, as had become a habit these days.

Yuffie stumbled in, her eyes practically closed, and she hugged Sora and went to kiss Rumor goodnight before going to bed, too. Leon smiled as she ran into walls tiredly, using then to guide her through the house.

"I think we probably should have made her go to bed earlier than three yesterday." He said, his voice also tired.

Sora smirked. "She can't complain; we didn't even go to sleep last night."

Leon gave Sora one of those looks. "That's not for trying though. If someone hadn't been so excited…"

"Oh, you wanted it." Sora said, poking Leon's chest.

"I'm not saying I didn't. In fact, I very much love those nights. However, I was pointing out the fact you so totally started it." Leon said backing out of the kitchen and into the small dining room in between the kitchen and the living room.

"I didn't see you stopping it."

"Well, no. I love taking advantage of you when you're in those types of moods." Leon said indignantly.

Sora scoffed humorously. "You love taking advantage of me anytime."

He smirked humorously, "Yeah." Then his eyes flashed with that ever so familiar emotion, and he took off running silently through the house, Sora right behind him. They ran up the stair, making as little noise as possible. When Leon finally reached the bedroom, he waited inside the doorway, waiting for his little brunette to round the corner.

"Gotcha!" He whispered, as he close his hand over his other's mouth, and wrapping his arm around the tiny waist. He dragged the short brunette over to their bed, and laid him down, smiling when Sora wrapped his arms around Leon's neck. Leon kissed him slowly, messaging the sides that he had so viciously attacked.

Sora pulled away, giggling slightly, because that tickled. "I love you." He told Leon, softly, moving further up on the bed.

Leon smiled one of his small smiles, and stalked further up on the mattress, still giving Sora brief pecks before he came to rest fully on top of him. He then rested their foreheads together and said just as softly as Sora. "I love you too."

Andthey lived happily ever after.

&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

A/N: Please don't hit me! It has happy ending and lots of info and…and….and **Hyperventilates** Just don't kill me! WAHHHHHH!

I know ya'll wanted it to happen. Thought I give you a dream come true.

Carry on, Mr. Bowditch is an awesome book. I didn't make it up. I love that book to pieces.

Anyway, I hope you liked this story. If you want some more of Sora/Leon goodness, feel free to check out Leon doesn't, my collection of drabbles that I'm finally restarting. Also, I'm going to do shameless advertising for Rezelle's Archangel. It only has three chapters and it takes a while to update but I love it. Yum.

If you're just looking for more of my odd pairings and me I have another story due out around the beginning of the year. This one will be a Riku/Axel, Sora/Roxas (Because I'm now obsessed with that pairing) plus several other pairs. This one is set during high school, and it has so much angst and drama I almost want to squeal in delight. Plus I also have my several odd one-shots.

Feel free to contact me if you like. My e-mail is on my profile page.

I love you all!

_InnocentGuilt_


End file.
